Life Exchange
by Torenza
Summary: [Soul Exchange Sequel] When her nightmares start becoming reality, Kagome fights the belief that Inuyasha intends her serious harm, and questions his mental state. AU. IK [complete]
1. Kagome's New Phobia

DISCLAIMER: Guess what? I don't own Inuyasha, because if I did – this little number would be in fictionpress.net ^_^

AN: Yep, here it is, the not so long awaited sequel to Soul Exchange. I never planned on making it – in fact I had no intention of making one. But even though I am happy with the way it ended before, I felt that I could still do more with the setting and situations. So don't mistake this for a continuation – because it's not. It's a sequel with a new plot.

And since someone complained about Shippo's lack of appearance, I'll be able to fit him in here this time ^_^

If you're new to this story then I suppose you don't have to read the first story, so just to help people get their bearings, or to those who can't remember what happened in the last story I'll have to include that kind of detail in the story. If you know it, feel free to skimp past it – if you don't – feel free to skimp past anyway! ^_^

Bearing in mind, Soul Exchange was one heck of a complicated story, so it's going to be quite hard to describe the settings and current relationships without making the story seem dull at the beginning. I'll try my best though (here's hoping).

Life Exchange

Chapter 1

Kagome's New Phobia…

__

Every turn seemed to lead no where, every doorway opened into another corridor, and every corridor appeared to stretch before her eyes. It was almost as if the palace was deliberately trying to keep her there forever. Well it was working… she was quite completely, and seriously lost. 

She rounded another turn in the corridor and threw herself inside one of the doorways to her right, slamming the door shut and leaning against the side of the new corridor she was presented with. She couldn't run anymore… she was exhausted. Her breath came in short gasps and her hair had long fallen strew from their pins and her bangs plastered to her cheeks and neck with sweat.

Her mind was screaming at her to keep running, but her legs just couldn't_ obey any more. She could run for years and she'd never find her way free… this was the Northern palace of the little offshore island, and the place was a labyrinth of corridors and dungeons. Though what else was she to expect? Sesshomaru governed this place… well… maybe he _had _governed this place. But he was the one who built it… he was the one who made it impossible for prisoners to escape._

Made it impossible for Kagome to escape.

A distant sound reached her ears and she clapped a hand over her mouth to still the noise of her heavy panting. She stared at a dark stain on the floor before her as her hearing strained to catch the distant sound in the near silent palace.

Footsteps. Unhurried, and sure footed. He always walked that way, like he knew where he was going all the time, like he owned the ground he walked on. Well, he really did now. The palace belonged to him. 

Gradually they grew louder, as he eventually came closer… Kagome wanted to start running but she was torn. If she ran he would hear her, and he would know exactly where to find her. If she stayed, he might find her anyway, and it would then be too late to run. 

The footsteps grew louder, and closer and she snapped her head towards the screen door she'd just come through, knowing he must be close now. The footsteps creaked the wooden boards of the corridor and she heard the planks under her own bare feet groan in answer.

He was on the other side of the door…

The footsteps had stopped and she didn't dare breathe as she waited. Was it too late to run? Did he know she was there? Was he even there, or was her mind playing tricks on her again? It did that a lot these days… Mostly because he made it that way…

For a moment she questioned her senses, wondering if she'd even heard the footsteps at all… before her eyes snapped from the floor to the screen with a sharp intake of breath. She bolted into movement, shoving away from the wall, the same moment the screen was thrown violently to the side to allow him entry.

She hadn't even run three steps before she felt a strong hand seize her arm and twist it roughly behind her back, forcing her to her knees with a stifled cry of pain. "No!" she choked out, trying to steady herself on the floor with her free arm.

"I'm tired of chasing you, I thought it might be amusing to keep you here like a rat in a maze…" she heard the scraping of metal on metal and twisted to look behind her. "But I'm bored, so you can go now."

And he didn't mean he planned to let her leave. For a moment she focused on his sharp eyes before looking up at the sword he was raising above her, ready to strike towards her neck. It wasn't his sword. He'd stolen it, the same time as when he'd stolen his brother's life. Toukijin… Sesshomaru's sword. He'd thrown away Tessaiga in favour of having a more powerful weapon that didn't falter when it was used to take human life. 

"Please…" she whispered, cringing away from the blade that glinted in the light from the torches.

"Please?" he smiled, in a way that wasn't nasty or menacing. It was a pleasant one… let down only by the fact he was poising a sword steadily above her to detach her head from her body. He was mad. "Don't worry, I'll make it fast. You were always my favourite."

"Inuyasha…" she pleaded again, but his eye's didn't soften to her pleas. He barely looked like his old self anymore. He looked older, taller, a more formidable opponent than he had looked when he was seventeen. Now he hated the hair she loved so much, he'd hacked it in half and scraped it into a tight forbidding tie near the top of his head. He wasn't the boy she loved… not anymore.

He moved his arm, about to complete the swing that would end her life when he stopped and lifted his head to look into the distance, his ears twitching at some far off noise only he could hear. She stared at him in bewilderment for a moment… wondering if his conscience had finally clawed its way to the surface…

Until she felt the floor begin to tremble beneath her knees. She stared at her hand that picked up the very slight, but continuous rumbling. It could have been a small earthquake, but it only grew until the doors were flapping in their frames and distant crashes sounded the fall of objects off shelves and tables.

But all sounds were drowned out, including the pounding her heart made in her chest, as a faint splintering crack sound was heard. Followed by a soft roar of air… or… something…

"Earthquake, don't worry." Inuyasha reassured her, his grip tightened again on her arm, though she didn't catch his words as the corridor continued to quake around them and the roaring sound in the distance increased. He prepared to flick the sword towards her again, and suddenly Kagome didn't care about the distant noises in the old palace. 

Until water suddenly crashed around the corner at the far end of their corridor, and started hurling towards them at break-neck speeds.

It was only seconds before the deafening roar of waves hit them that it all went eerily quiet and she heard Inuyasha speak, in a tone that made it seem like he was talking to her. "What does this mean?"

Then the roaring water switched back to full volume and crashed over their heads…

It was the third time that week she'd had the same recurring dream… She knew the meaning well. She'd known it ever since that day a few weeks ago. She'd denied what she'd seen… what her intuition had been telling her.

In a way, she still didn't believe any of it.

Inuyasha couldn't possibly be planning to kill her…

^_^

It had been a little over three years since everything had settled down. A little over three years was how long Inuyasha had been ruling the Southern half of the Inu Youkai's island. After the fuss of who was to take the throne after Inuyasha's father's death, it had finally found an owner. It wasn't easy being King… and looking back, Kagome wondered if that was what had drove him insane. He'd always confided in her about how tedious and boring the job was. Sometimes it was too challenging… and sometimes it wasn't challenging enough.

It was a big Kingdom… and a lot of Inu Youkai in one big Kingdom added up to a lot of problems being thrown at their leader day in day out. 

But after a while, Inuyasha had began coping with the problems, learning about which ones to ignore and which ones to take priority in. He'd started to become to type of ruler that the people could depend on.

Or so everyone had thought. It turned out that maybe the confident (if not cocky, egotistical and arrogant) smile of his had been a fake mask to hide his true feelings. His true nature.

Well, whatever the reason for his slow decline in sanity, it hadn't been apparent for a long time. But Kagome had started getting a hint of unease after she woke up from one of her more disturbing dreams. She'd managed to discuss it with Miroku later on that morning. 

"A bad dream?" Miroku raised an eyebrow at her across the bed they were both making. "That's unusual. Don't you have dream catchers for that sort of thing?"

"They're only for the superstitious morons." Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Well they usually work for me." Miroku shrugged with placid smile.

"Uh… no offence or anything…" Kagome added quickly, fluffing up the pillows of Sango's bed.

"So what was it about?"

Kagome looked down sheepishly. "Stupid really…"

"Go on. I don't care. I listen to Inuyasha talking a lot. I hear stupid things all the time." Miroku reasoned.

Kagome sighed as she turned her attention back to making the bed. "Well… I was in a palace… this one I think… or the Northern one…" she shook her head as she tried to remember the sketchy details. "Someone was chasing me… an Inu Youkai I think… I remember the white hair."

"Who was it exactly."

"I don't know." Kagome gave an annoyed shrug. "A guy with white hair. Or a girl."

"On an island full of people like that…" Miroku looked thoughtful. "That narrows down our suspects to… about six thousand people?"

She sighed as she set the pillows back down and pulled the blanket straight with his help. "That was the tame bit. I had my head sliced off by a big sword after that…"

Miroku gave her a worried look. "You mean… like Inuyasha's-"

"No!" Kagome shook her head quickly. "Not Tessaiga… it was thinner… it didn't transform or anything…"

"Maybe it was Bankotsu's sword… what's it called… Banryuu?" Miroku gave a slanted smile.

Kagome laughed at that. "It wasn't _that _big… besides, the guy had white hair remember?"

"Or maybe that's what he'd like you to believe." Miroku said in a wise tone.

"I don't understand what you have against that guy." Kagome reasoned. "He's human, like us. That makes the number of humans on this island add up to a grand total of… four."

"Don't forget Lady Inu." He pointed out.

Lady Inu being Inuyasha's mother… she was more ferocious and determined at heart than a whole village of Inu Youkai put together. She had to be, she _was _Inuyasha's mother after all. "Right… five then."

"And don't forget Fushi, and the baby." Miroku continued.

"Alright… seven then."

"And if Sango's next child isn't the love child of her secret lover then that'll be eight humans." He said proudly.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Miroku." Kagome warned him playfully. "Anyway… what do you have against Bankotsu anyway?"

"He's the new guy. You always have to give the new guy a hard time."

"That's no excuse."

"Ok then…" Miroku narrowed his eyes. "What I'd like to know is how a guy like him managed to worm his way into top position in the army in under three weeks upon arrival in this place? I mean… he's human for god's sakes."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." Kagome scolded him.

"You know what I mean." He gave a sigh. "He just rubs me the wrong way."

"Well… he got to be captain of the guard because he's a good fighter… experienced… and loyal… His power could probably equal half the men in the army already. He's a great asset to us." Kagome said reasonably.

"Yeah… but that's what makes him so dangerous." Miroku sighed again. "I don't know Kagome, but I don't think we need him. At the way things are going, I don't think we're going to break out into war with Sesshomaru any time soon. Putting a guy like Bankotsu in charge of the army is like loading a bow with an arrow that never misses and aiming it at Sesshomaru whilst yelling 'it's ok, we're not seriously trying to attack you or anything!'. See my point?"

"Vaguely." Kagome frowned at him with concern. "A little tense these days are we?"

"Well… third kid. The mood swings are hitting Sango hard again… one more pot thrown at me and I think my hair will start turning white."

Kagome's gaze slid up to his hair. She made a show of gasping and staring at him. "Oh god…"

"What?" his hands flew to his hair at once.

"I think I just saw…" she shook herself out of her stare. "It's probably nothing. It's impossible to go white at twenty one isn't it?"

"Kagome." He gave her a dry look.

"Only kidding, where'd your sense of humour go?" she smiled cheerfully at him and pick up a bundle of cloth to toss to him. "That's for Sango. The seamstress had them freshly made for her seeing as her dresses don't fit anymore."

"Great. Yet another way to point out how big she is." He looked from the bundle in his hands to Kagome. "This is just asking to get punched."

"You should be used to ducking by now." Kagome started for the door. "Anyway, I have stuff to do… you go make sure she gets those dresses."

"Naturally."

"Bye Miroku!" she left him to tidy up the rest of the room by himself.

^_^

Inuyasha sighed inwardly as he started rolling his stylus backwards and forwards across the table before him. He starting matching it to Bankotsu's pacing, sending it left when Bankotsu turned and walked left, and then right when Bankotsu turned back the other way.

"So as you can see, enrolling more soldiers is the key to an invincible army." Bankotsu was saying. Inuyasha was only half listening. "The men are impressive as they are. They are quite skilled and… so on… but I'm sure that if you make it a law that every male over the age of fourteen should enrol in the army, then you'll have a one thousand strong army in no time."

"Full of amateurs and adolescents who know how to hold a hoe better than a sword?" Inuyasha slipped in evenly.

"Then we'll train them."

"And while all the men are off training for this so called 'war' who will be tending the fields and providing the food that we eat? There aren't enough women to cover all the jobs that men do." Inuyasha shook his head. "Nice idea… but not really necessary."

"But there is word from the spies over in the North kingdom that Sesshomaru has managed to obtain a new weapon. A sword… Toukijin, I think. They think its power could rival that of your Tessaiga."

"No sword can rival Tessaiga." Inuyasha rolled his eyes dissmissively.

He didn't notice the way Bankotsu's fists clenched by his sides. "Ok. But what if he decides to test this theory out for real? Then we'd find our selves hip deep in battle."

"Well that's when we'll start to worry." Inuyasha frowned. "You're becoming as bad as the royal pain-in-the-ass advisors. Stop worrying over nothing."

"This isn't nothing. Sesshomaru poses a serious threat to this Kingdom. He's still after your throne." Bankotsu argued turning his gaze back to the floor as he resumed pacing. "You told me about his attempts to force it from you three years ago. He failed, but his army has been growing stronger, and _he _has been growing stronger as well. All you've done is sit back and procrastinated."

He took Inuyasha's silence as sullen acceptance of this fact. "I say we go ahead and increase the number of men in the army, then we'll be a formidable force against the North again."

There was a knock at the door, interrupting Bankotsu's speech, "Come in!" he barked.

The door slipped open and Miroku glanced around the study before looking at Bankotsu. "Who're you just talking to?"

"What, are you blind? I was talking to…" he trailed off as he turned around to find an empty desk. The window behind it was now wedged open and the drape was swaying in the light breeze beside it. "Shit… not again…"

"Don't worry, he did that all the time to the last captain." Miroku shrugged. "If you ask me he's just jealous because you have a bigger sword."

"I agree." Bankotsu smirked in approval. "I'll just have to talk to him later." He said, marching past Miroku as he left the King's study.

^_^

Kagome journeyed across the extensive green meadows that lay before the palace, past the two lakes that stretched before it like a sort of moat, and headed into the forest around the green bowl towards an old brook that flowed through the trees. It was quite a walk, but it was pleasant. Being on the South side of the island, the weather there was almost tropical and nearly always hot… sometimes a little too hot on those humid summer days. But it was just the start of spring, the time of year when trees and plants were beginning to blossom and the weather was comfortably warm without any humidity.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

She slipped through the spaced out trees, heading down the beaten old track she must have taken hundreds of times to the brook. Along the way she smiled as she noticed signs of the new year were sprouting along the path. Irises were beginning to bud and a few orchids here and there…

Every now and then she stopped to pick a few of the bright flowers and added them to an accumulating bunch in her hand. Perhaps she'd give them as a present to Sango, to try and give her some comfort through the pains of pregnancy.

Or maybe she should give them to Inuyasha…

She reached the brook after a few minutes and slipped out of her sandals and socks to sit on the bank and dangle her feet in the warm water. It must have flowed from a spring for the water to be so pleasant… that's why it was her favourite to just sit by and listen to the birds sing.

This was what life was all about. It wasn't about the adrenaline rushes of adventures and action… the cold sting of hurt and betrayal that struck every now and then. It wasn't about the heat and gore of battle or the immense joy at victory, or the incredible woe of defeat…

Life was like this… just partaking in simple pleasures that she could enjoy everyday. The companionship of real friends that she would be with for the rest of her life… the warm summer days she could enjoy outside, and the cold winter nights she could spend curled up in her warm bed with a good book.

That was another thing that made her smile. If it wasn't for Inuyasha, she wouldn't be able to read those books she loved so much…

This was how it was meant to be. But she still couldn't help but feel there was still something missing in her life. Though she knew exactly what it was.

A few metres behind her she heard the heavy tread of a horse's hooves on the soft ground along with the snort of the animal's breathing and the clinking of its reins. She didn't bother turning around. She just kept her eyes closed and carried on basking in the sun's warmth.

"Oh look, it's a girl about to get a sunburn."

"Oh look, it's a boy about to screw off along with the horse he rode in on." Kagome replied evenly.

"Jeez… are you still mad?" she heard him come closer and she cracked open an eye to make sure she wasn't about to get trodden on by his huge horse. "I said I was sorry."

"You didn't seem sorry at the time. You looked like you were enjoying it." She shot back, shuffling further along to bank and out of stomping range. "In fact you laughed."

"Well… it was quite funny…"

"Sadistic little git…" she grumbled, shuffling further along as his horse stepped closer to the bank of the stream. 

"You sting me." He sighed. "And here I was ready to apologise and give you these."

She looked up at him and saw the flowers he was holding down to her. "Oh – Inuyasha – for me?"

"Well… actually they were for Sango, cause she's mad at me too."

"Why's she mad at you?" she took the flowers anyway.

"For just blinking too loudly I suppose." He shrugged.

"Well… these were for Sango too, but I suppose you could have them." She held up the flowers she'd picked and smiled when he took them. "Now you can give her my flowers and I'll give her yours."

"No way – my flowers look better – gimme them back!" he stuck his hand out.

"You romantic fool, you." Kagome laughed and kept a hold of the flowers in her hands. "You handed them over. They're mine now."

"Don't refuse the King, little girl." He said with mock seriousness.

"Ooh – good impression, I nearly shivered." She snickered.

"Alright. I warned you." He leaned over and hook a finger around the edge of her sleeve, before urging his horse to walk into the stream.

"Inuyasha – no – not again!" Kagome stammered as he pulled her along with him. She desperately tried to stay on the bank. "No – this is my best kimono you rat bag! There could be leeches in there! And… sharp stones! And killer fish!"

"I heard they had Piranhas too." Inuyasha grinned as he gave her a sudden tug that had her staggering into the water.

"Ew! No!" She gaped down at her wet kimono… but he only pulled her deeper into the water, while he stayed nice and dry on top of his horse. "Oh my god – something brushed past my foot! Leech! Oh god!"

She hated leeches. Her second phobia after mosquitoes and other biting insects that sucked her blood. Just the thought of slimy unseen invertebrates under the water, latching onto her bare, tender legs was enough to have her freaking out in a major way.

"Relax Kagome… there aren't any leeches in the water." He told her, with a good laugh at her expense.

She stopped squirming and glared at him. "I. Hate. You."

"That's too bad, because I just love you."

A painful pang shot through her heart and she tried to keep her expression from faltering. He said things like that from time to time… and they hurt, because she knew he didn't mean them. His words didn't even come close to how he felt about her. Sure there was affection… but was there love?

Not really…

She forced herself to smile as she let the pain pass as easily as it had penetrated her soul. She gripped his hand and gave him a sharp tug. He half fell, only catching himself just in time from falling in. "Wait – Kagome – I don't bend that way – let go!"

"No – this is too much fun!" she laughed at his expense this time as she walked backwards, dragging him with her.

"Ah – shit!" he slipped off the horse and right into the water that came up to her waist. He disappeared from view and Kagome laughed quietly to herself as his horse ambled off seeing as his master wasn't on board anymore.

For a long time Inuyasha didn't surface, and after a while Kagome was beginning to get nervous. "Inuyasha?" she called with a fading smile, wading forward through the water with her arms stretched under the surface, trying to feel for a body. "Inuyasha – don't play games – this isn't funny!"

She couldn't see him, or feel him, and she started to panic and began looking around. The current wasn't that strong… he couldn't have been swept away… but what if he'd hit his head?

Kagome cast that thought aside – Inuyasha's skull was too thick to even contemplate brain damage.

Suddenly something pinched on her calf and she squeaked, whipping around to try and see the offender. Inuyasha suddenly surfaced out of the water, pushing his incredible hair out of his face.

"You pinched me!" she accused.

"No I didn't." he held up a squirming little black slug-like thing between his claws. "It was a leech. I got it off you."

Kagome's scream was so powerful he cringed a little and had to flatten his ears. He'd never seen a human move so fast in his entire life as she pegged it for shore, still screaming.

She hauled herself up onto dry land and quickly began running her hands over her legs frantically. "Get them off! Get them off! Get 'em off me!"

"I think we found you a new phobia." He observed as he tossed the little bug into the water and started wading back towards shore and the hysterical Kagome. "Chill, Kagome, it's gone – there aren't any more,"

Kagome made a strangled noise, but her hands slowed down from where they clawed at her legs. She gave a great shudder. "I… **_HATE_**… leeches…!"

Inuyasha pulled himself onto the bank and without much thought, took hold of her ankle and pulled her leg up, causing Kagome to topple back with an 'oof!'. He tutted critically at the little mark on her calf. "Looks like you got a little hickey. And look – it's shaped like a star."

"More like a star _fish _actually." Kagome huffed, pulling her leg out of his grip indignantly, hoping he would mistake her blush for her still getting over her panic attack. 

He laughed and stood up, giving her damp hair a short ruffle. "You're a funny girl."

He probably meant 'funny' as in 'strange'. It was an affectionate compliment either way. She watched him with a hopeless sigh as he went to retrieve his horse and pulled himself up onto the saddle, a little stiffly since he was weighed down by wet clothes. 

Once he was up he steered towards her and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh yeah – Sango says could you try and find Fushi? She's lost him again."

"She's always losing her son."

"He's been running away ever since he could walk." Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "But she's busy, and since you're like a magnet to the kid she figured you could help her with that."

"As always." She gave him a mock salute and he returned it as he started to walk the horse away from the stream. Kagome watched him go until he was out of sight, half wanting to kick herself for being such a lovesick fool.

Then she wanted to slap herself when she realised he'd snagged both bunches of flowers for Sango. "That rotten little…"

^_^

Bankotsu lay back on top of one of the large boulder rocks along the beech, his head cushioned on his arms and a faint smile as he absorbed the warmth of the sun on his face. After spending nearly a decade underground in a grave, dead to the world, it was nice to cherish the sunlight. He'd never appreciated it before, but… that's what second chances were for.

"Bankotsu, elder brother!" 

He sat up to see two figures making their way through the sand towards him and his boulder. One of them was running towards him happily, the second hung back, walking at a more sedate and dignified pace.

"There you are Jakotsu." Bankotsu gave him a short cheerful wave. "How's it hanging Renkotsu?"

"Low." The monk-like man commented dryly, watching Jakotsu run haplessly to sit by their leader with a distasteful frown.

"So – how's the infiltration going?" Jakotsu asked happily. Hanging around the beech all day with Renkotsu was not the highlight of his life, obviously. It was refreshing to see Bankotsu again. 

"According to plan." The young man replied smoothly. "They don't suspect a thing… though that monk, Miroku, may be some trouble…"

"Oh we can handle him." Jakotsu dismissed with a wave. "I can't wait to meet your friends."

"They're not our friends." Renkotsu broke in.

"I was being sardistic."

"You mean, sarcastic."

"Yeah, probably." Jakotsu shrugged. "So how strong is their King? Is he anything like Lord Inu."

"Hard to tell." Bankotsu scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I've only been around for three weeks, he hasn't shown off any skill as of yet. But… he does have a certain… air similar to his father."

"Do you think he's stronger?" Renkotsu frowned.

"Possibly." Their leader shrugged again. "Well, it doesn't matter for now. I assume Suikotsu is off on his little mission then?"

Renkotsu smiled at this and Jakotsu broke out into a grin. "Of course. He left for the Northern Kingdom this morning. By nightfall he should have overthrown their King and become the new ruler of the North."

"Excellent." Bankotsu grinned. "By the end of the week I'll be in control of this Kingdom and we'll have the whole island at our beck and call. Looks like this revenge stuff is working out just as planned…"

AN: And there you have it, the first chapter to the sequel ^_^. If you don't know who Bankotsu, Jakotsu and the rest of the Shichinin-tai are… then the best I can do is direct you to the manga translations for more character info. and things like that. Since they were the main villains through volumes 24 – 28 I'll be using them in this story. They hung around stubbornly for quite a while… like bad tomato stains on your best white shirt or something…

Anyway, feel free to ask questions if you think I need to elaborate on some things, because I have a feeling I skimped over some detail somewhere. 


	2. All In Your Head

AN: Let's see… how long will this story be? Possibly not as long as Soul Exchange, but not a short one either. Roughly 18 chapters, I think, but don't quote me on that. 

And Inuyasha's hair is just fine! He hasn't chopped it off or done anything drastic – that was just Kagome's dream. But that'll be explained in later chapters.

And about the Shichinin-tai – yes, they are all human (though Kyoukotsu and Suikotsu look very Youkai-ish) and none of them are actually brothers. But Jakotsu refers to people like Renkotsu or Bankotsu as 'aniki' which means 'elder brother'. But it's just a respectful term for someone higher up in rank. And Bankotsu can be referred to as 'oo-aniki' which means something like 'biggest older brother' – because he's their leader. Doesn't mean they're all related, but the Shichinin-tai is sort of like their family group of brothers in that respect.

And yes, Jakotsu is gay in this story. Otherwise he wouldn't be Jakotsu now would he ^_^

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 2

All In Your Head

Above them, the ceiling groaned and creaked as it dipped under the strain of the upper floors. Sesshomaru, along with his guards and attendants cast a silent eye up to the ceiling rafts. "Mochihiko?" Sesshomaru gestured one of the guards forward to his throne. "Tell them to get a move on repairing this place. If it's not done by the time the rainy season comes then this place will be flooded in no time."

"My lord." The man gave a quick bow and hurried from the throne room.

"Continue." Sesshomaru nodded to the advisor who had been speaking to him.

The man shifted nervously. "We're still having trouble discovering which members of staff in the palace are spies for the Inuyasha brat. We found one man, his stripes were only fake marks – he was an Inu Youkai from the South.. But everyone else in the palace has natural stripes, so they are all citizens of this Kingdom."

"Then it is safe to presume Inuyasha has managed to talk some of our own people into becoming his spies?" Sesshomaru scowled. "Fair enough. How many spies do we have in the Southern palace then?"

"Um…" The man swallowed hard. "As of yesterday, sire…? None…"

"What?" Sesshomaru sat upright rather quickly.

"The last of our men was discovered yesterday, sire. The last thing he managed to report before he was caught was that a human female by the name of Kagome was the one who was singling out our spies and having them rounded up."

"What makes her so special?" The Northern King demanded.

"A few spies a little while ago said she possessed miko like abilities… similar to Kikyo, the one who was killed a few years ago. They never elaborated on what exactly she could do." The advisor shifted again. "But she's wiped out all our spies, while I am sure Inuyasha has sent more men to spy on us here, your highness."

"How many, exactly?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"On average… I'd say there is at least one in this room right now, sire." The man glanced around suspiciously at the guards standing around the room. Sesshomaru didn't bother wasting his time looking around the room. The men all looked the same, a spy would not stand out.

Just then there came a knock at the door. Sesshomaru snapped a glare on the messenger who was stood in the open doorway. "What is it?"

"The outlooks along the border found a trespasser. He's a human." The young messenger informed him sombrely.

"Bring him to me."

The young messenger, really no more than a boy, turned and made a gesture to someone outside in the corridor. He stood back and a few moments later a guard came in, dragging a rather plain looking man along in his wake. Definitely a human.

The man was forced onto his knees before Sesshomaru who stood regally and glowered down at him. But he was half pleased at the arrival, at least it would serve as some form of entertainment after the drab days recently. "Why were you trespassing on my land. Are you from Inuyasha's domain?"

"I… I'm lost… I don't know where I am." The man mumbled to the floor.

"Indeed. Stand up."

When the man didn't comply, the guard stepped forward and forced him with a hard jerk onto his feet. The human man winced in pain. "Please – I'm just a lowly doctor, I don't want to cause you any trouble here!"

"You are a friend of Inuyasha, undoubtedly, considering his preference to human companions. Sickening really." Sesshomaru flicked some lint of his sleeve before turning an impassive gaze to the trembling man before him. "Are you not?"

"I… don't know who this Inuyasha is… I'm sorry… please, just let me go?"

"Or perhaps you are just a human who wandered upon the sand bridge that connects this island to the mainland?" Sesshomaru inhaled deeply. "Though it only rises on the full moon… so that would mean you've been hanging around the island for three weeks. Is that the case?"

"I don't remember…"

"What is your name." It wasn't really a question, and more like a demand.

"S-Suikotsu…" he stammered out.

Sesshomaru refrained from rolling his eyes. This was proving to be less entertaining than he'd originally thought. He turned with a sigh and headed back to his throne. "Kill him."

He heard the two guards move behind him, and listened as there was a sickening slicing sound, following by the dull thump of a body. He stopped walking at once when he heard a second dull thump that signalled a second body hitting the floor. He half turned and regarded the scene behind him… allowing for once a slight flicker of surprise and confusion across his expression at what he saw.

"Interesting…" he said slowly as he looked Suikotsu up and down, barely sparing a glance at the two dead guards at his feet. "What happened to your face?"

Where once stood the timid and mild looking human doctor… someone… _something_ more fierce stood in his place. Violent dark stripes marred his cheeks and forehead. The smooth face was now full of sharp, almost demon like angles and maliciousness. For some reason he seemed bigger, taller… nearly the same height as Sesshomaru himself. What had just happened.

A few possibilities flashed through his mind. A Youkai possessed human doctor? A demon who hid his true nature behind a human mask? A Youkai, full stop? But no… he didn't smell like a Youkai, he smelled human and nothing more.

"My elder brother sends his regards." Suikotsu sneered as he dropped the sword that he'd taken from one of the guards as they'd attacked him. He reached into his coat to pull out his own weapon of choice. A large thick gauntlet like glove, with nine inch blades protruding from the knuckles. "This Kingdom is now the property of the Shichinin-tai!"

"Is that so?" Sesshomaru slowly rested his hand on the hilt of his newly acquired sword, Toukijin. "First you must defeat me to take my throne."

^_^

"Fushi… my legs going to fall off in a minute if you don't let go." Kagome told the small boy as she lifted her left leg and took a laboured step forward. It would have been so much easier if she didn't have a four year old boy wrapped around the leg.

"This isn't the way to the kitchens." Fushi mumbled into her leg. "You said you were taking me to the kitchens! You lied to me! Liar!"

"I never said _when _I would take you to the kitchens, she huffed as she headed for Sango's room. "We'll just make a quick pit-stop to Mama's room to have a story and a good night sleep, and then in the morning we can all go to the kitchens to have breakfast, ok?"

"Aw!" Fushi wailed at the unfairness of it all. "But I'm not tired yet!"

"You're not? Well I am." She pretended to yawn widely and smiled inwardly when he caught the infectious action. "See? You _are _tired."

"Maybe a little." He replied sullenly against her leg, burying his face in her kimono.

"Come on, you're a big boy, you can walk by yourself now, right?" she reached down and managed to pry him off her without much trouble. She took his hand and started to guide him slowly back to Sango's room. The thing about Fushi was that he hated being treated like a child, despite the obvious fact that he _was _a child. That was probably the reason why he liked Kagome so much – because she didn't make silly baby faces or noises at him. She at least treated him like he had a mind of his own. Not many other people in the palace realised that.

"Sango?" Kagome knocked on the door quietly before opening it. "Look who I found."

"There you are, Fushi." Sango said in a quiet voice, and gestured for them to keep their voices down after pointing at the cradle in the corner of the room. "Reiko's asleep, let's get you to bed, young man."

"But I'm not…" he broke off with a yawn. "… tired yet."

"Of course you aren't." Sango dropped his night-clothes onto his head with a smile. "Now keep your voice down, or you'll wake your little sister."

She steered him in the direction of the back room where his bed lay, and half closed the connecting door before turning back to Kagome who was sat on the bed in the middle of the room. She opened her mouth to speak before quickly closing it as her gaze fell to Kagome's leg. "What's that?" 

"A leg?" Kagome took a wild guess as she followed her friend's gaze. "Oh – that's just bruise. Got it down by the river earlier today while I was with Inuyasha."

Sango raised an eyebrow, and in the blink of an eye was beside the younger girl and lifting her leg up so quickly that Kagome fell back with another 'oof'. "That's no bruise – that's a hickey!" Sango got a devilish little twinkle in her eye. "With Inuyasha you say?"

"Uh…" Kagome was sure it wasn't the abnormally hot weather that was making her hot under the collar. "Don't be silly."

"Please tell me he gave you this!" Sango pleaded, dropping Kagome's leg so she could sit up again. "Who made the first move? Was it him or you? When did you two finally get together?!"

"Sango…" Kagome sighed, feeling the blush leave her face. "We haven't done anything. It was just a leech that got my leg."

"Ew!" Sango wiped her hands down on front of her kimono, just over the fairly decent bump over her stomach. "You mean, a leech gave you the hickey? That's disappointing."

"Tell me about it." Kagome sighed and watched as Sango carefully sat down next to her on the bed. "But Inuyasha was very heroic in saving me."

Sango watched her quietly for a moment before cocking her head. "I don't understand. You're a beautiful girl, you're intelligent… more or less… and kind, and considerate, and you've proven how loyal you are. Why doesn't he trust you yet? It's been three years for crying out loud."

"He trusts me fine." Kagome fended her off. "He told me once that he felt confident enough to put his life in my hands at any time."

"But… then why…?" Sango wasn't sure how to phrase the question.

"Apparently putting his heart in my hands is a different matter." Kagome fiddled with her skirts. She'd had this conversation with Sango so many times over the past few years that she'd lost count of the times they'd talked. "Sango… you're an old friend of Inuyasha's right?"

"Sure." Sango shrugged.

"He hasn't… spoken to you about… me… has he?"

"No."

Kagome fought to keep from looking too crestfallen as Sango quickly tried again. "I mean… he wouldn't talk about stuff like that with me. If it makes you feel any better he hasn't talked to me about any other girl either. Maybe he prefers men?"

"Bull."

"Language!" Sango hissed, casting a glance over to Fushi's room. She frowned when she saw him peeking through the Shoji. "Bed!"

He quickly scuttled off.

"So what's going on?" Sango turned back to Kagome.

"Well… nothing…" Kagome shrugged helplessly. "We talk often, we hang around, we have fun… but only like best friends would do. I don't know… maybe after three years he's not interested in pursuing anything romantic with me. I think all he feels for me is fondness… nothing really close to love. Not even… not even a crush or… I don't think he finds me even remotely attractive."

"That's impossible." Sango said bluntly. 

"Well…" Kagome turned to look at the older girl. "How did you get together with Miroku?"

"Um…" Sango looked off into space as she tried to think back. "God… it's so long ago. Well… he arrived… started feeling up every girl within a ten mile radius… but he was always forward about his feelings for me. He never beat around the bush. He never got nervous or minced his words. If he liked me he'd tell me so, and when he told me he loved me… I knew he was serious. He told me he loved me even though I was still slapping him for touching me."

Kagome sighed. "Damn… Inuyasha's never forward about his feelings…"

"He'll keep it all bottled up inside, no matter how he feels." Sango nodded slowly. "Ok, so maybe he won't be the one to make the first step. Maybe you should instead?"

"What?" Kagome stared at her.

"You know, get the ball rolling." Sango grinned. "Tell him how you feel, and that will cause a chain reaction that will ultimately lead to him telling you the same thing and then – before we know it – Lady Inu's wish for grandchildren will be granted." 

The younger girl shook her head. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't love me…"

"How can you be?" Sango asked softly.

"After three years, wouldn't you think he'd give at least one little sign of love if that was what he felt?" Kagome flopped back onto the bed. "He doesn't love me… I know it."

"Well then _make _him love you."

"Force him to love me? That's just cruel." Kagome snorted softly.

"Loving you is not exactly going to be excruciating pain, Kagome." Sango sighed. "If you make the moves on the boy then he'll be all over you in no time."

Kagome snapped a frown on her. "You mean like seduction?"

"Um…" Sango fidgeted with her kimono sleeve. "Not quite like that… I mean… it's not like you'd be doing it for evil intent."

"But it's still seduction." Kagome said shortly.

"Ok, yeah it is, so what?" Sango rolled her eyes. "At least you two would finally be together after god knows how long!"

"I can't seduce him, Sango!" Kagome sat up like a bolt. "That's what got me into this mess! When he found out that I came here on Naraku's orders to seduce and kill him – it _ruined _my entire relationship with him! Irreparably! I don't think Inuyasha would appreciate it if I tried to seduce him for real this time! And anyway… that's like making him love me falsely… it wouldn't really be his true feelings would it?"

Sango shrugged. "Whatever. Maybe you don't have to go to extremes. Just a casual touch or caress… and let him do the rest. I'm sure if you forced him to look at you in that kind of way, you'll find that he'll be falling over his feet to love you soon enough."

Kagome shook her head. "Unbelievable… you know, I'm actually considering this…?"

"Good." Sango patted her knee. "Now maybe you should go find him and start caressing him like I said."

Kagome tried to fight her blush. "Maybe some other time." She cleared her throat. "Where's Miroku, anyway?"

Sango's face hardened. "That bastard is going to stay out of this room until he thinks about what he said," she ground out.

"What did he say?"

"He insinuated I was fat when he gave me my new dresses." Sango folded her arms. "This'll teach him for calling me fat!"

It wasn't good to be around a pregnant Sango when she was angry, so Kagome quickly made her excuses and headed off to find something else to do.

^_^

Inuyasha stared with glazed eyes at the papers in his hands. This was the part of the job he hated more than anything else. Taxes… who needed them? Maybe he should just cut them in half and piss off his royal advisors more than usual. Well it would make everyone else happy…

He shifted his position in his throne so that his legs dangled off the right arm rest and his back leant against the left. It was getting pretty late into the evening and everyone was setting off for bed, which left the throne room a little more empty than usual. The only people in there besides himself were four guards standing over the doors.

At first it had been kind of unnerving sitting in such a big quiet room with a few guards standing so stiffly they could have been stuffed dolls. But after a while Inuyasha just got used to the atmosphere and managed to ignore them.

__

'Inuyasha'

He looked up expectantly at the guards to see who had called his name. None of them moved. He frowned for a moment before getting back on with his 'work'.

__

'Inuyasha'

"What do you want?" he snapped without looking up. The four guards jumped and looked to one another, trying to figure out which one of them he was talking to. He looked up at the clueless men, irritated immediately. "Which one of you is calling my name?" he demanded.

"Uh… no one." One guard looked at the others uncertainly.

Inuyasha's patience with them ran out. "Get out and don't tell the second shift to come in until their time."

The men trooped out, leaving the King alone.

"Stupid guards… not in the mood for tricks…" he shifted to get comfortable again and rested his head against the back of the throne. "So bored…" And itchy. He scowled as he put down the papers on his lap for a moment to take off the metal arm cuffs that nearly covered his forearms and scratched. He didn't bother putting the heavy cuffs on again when he was relieved. He just went back to reading.

__

'Inuyasha'

His head snapped up and he was out of his chair so fast that the cuffs fell from his lap and landed on the stone floor with loud crashes. He looked down at them for a moment before looking around. "Who's there?" an eerie sense making the fine hairs at the back of his neck bristle.

__

'Inuyasha'

"Inuyasha…" he echoed the name with a frown. The difference between his voice and the second voice was clear… the second voice wasn't in the room, it was in his head.

Something brushed against his arm and he immediately backed away from the source. He swiped and connected with nothing but air. There was something in the room with him…

He stood for a moment, waiting for the next touch, or whisper… but everything was silent and he was alone. He relaxed slightly and crouched to pick up the cuffs whilst shaking his head. "Either I'm loosing it…" he told himself quietly. "Or I'm being haunted."

He didn't believe in ghosts, and he snorted contemptuously as he rose and decided he might as well head to bed. He was probably just fatigued. He reached the door and waved back at the room. "Night Kikyo." He said before slamming the door in his wake.

^_^

Kagome yawned as she carried her laundry back to her room under one arm. She came around the corner and passed the throne room when she head voices. Actually, just one.

"Night Kikyo." The door opened and Inuyasha came out, almost running into her.

"Who're you talking to?" Kagome asked.

"Uh… myself?" he guessed with a shrug.

"That's a bad sign." She smiled when he grinned at her. "You going to bed?"

"You?" he replied.

"Yep."

"Well, seeing as we're both heading the same way, I'll take these then." He took the basket of laundry from under her arm as he headed off. Kagome quickly walked after him.

"Any excuse to see my underwear." She laughed.

What Sango had suggested to her earlier came back to her and the laugh faded. Could she seriously make first contact like that. She looked at Inuyasha before her and bit her lip. She could do it now if she felt so inclined… when he handed back her washing she could 'nonchalantly' brush against his arm. Actually it would have to be more than a nonchalant touch… since Inuyasha probably wouldn't get the hint. It would have to be more like… like latching onto his arm and saying 'my god you're gorgeous'. Only then would Inuyasha get the hint of her feelings.

Not that it would be breaking news. She'd told him at least twice now that she loved him. He must still know that she loved him… but if she put herself out on a limb now then if he rejected her again, it would still hurt.

She was pulled out of her musings when he frowned at her. "You say something?"

She frowned back. "Uh… about you seeing my underwear?"

"No, after that."

"I didn't say anything after that." She frowned deeper. "Why?"

"Nothing." He shook his head quickly and stopped as they reached her door. He turned and gave her the basket. She took it without making any kind of move on him. "Night, Kag."

"G'night." She said as he stalked off to go into his own room beside hers. She sighed and slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead. She was such a big chicken…

^_^

Inuyasha tossed and turned that night, unable to fall asleep, but not due to the almost unbearable heat of his room. He half kicked the covers off and rolled over to clamp his hands over his ears, but that only seemed to make the voices louder.

__

'I can't believe he actually said that'

'Do you think it could be in the middle drawer'

'That dress will never go with that hat'

'Have you seen Fushi anywhere'

'Maybe you should gag her, that'll keep her quiet'

Inuyasha groaned into his mattress. "Shut up… shut up…" he muttered as she twisted onto his back again before soon turning to lie on his front, his arms completely wrapped over his head in an effort to shut them out. They were just voices, male and female, and sometimes they belonged to people he knew. Sometimes he swore he heard Sango or his mother… or Kagome or Miroku. But there were just as many unfamiliar voices. They weren't loud, they were just as feeble sounding as the words he thought aloud in his head… but he didn't have any control over them. They just talked random nonsense, all at the same time, but he could only pick out one voice over the others at any one time.

And he didn't know how to stop them.

__

'He'd never understand'

'Mountains or Chinchillas?'

'You think you have a bad feeling about this'

'Keep away from the woods'

'The sky won't fall just yet'

'She's against you… you know it… you have to do something about it'

****

"SHUT UP!" he yelled, fracturing the quiet of his room. At once the voices ceased in his head and he was left with the peaceful silence of his own mind again.

__

Thank god… he thought, relieved he could hear himself think again, without so many other voices crowding in on him.

Weakly he reached up and dragged a pillow over his head and clamped down on it, as if that would keep the voices from reaching him again. It seemed to work, and it wasn't long before he could drift off to sleep again.

^_^

Kagome flinched out of her light doze as she heard a loud noise in the night. She took a moment to get her bearings before trying to figure out what the noise had been. It had sounded like someone shouting… someone like Inuyasha…

Alarm crept up on her and she was awake and on her feet in seconds. And swaying as the headrush hit her rapidly as she did so. She stumbled towards her door blindly, not waiting for the rush to subside. Inuyasha's safety came first. She pushed her door back and soundlessly tiptoed across the fall for his door. It wasn't the full moon… so he couldn't have transformed into a full Youkai… not that he did that anymore ever since he got his mitts on Tessaiga.

She hesitated only a moment before pushing back his sliding door to peek inside and see what the problem was.

Nothing… apparently.

Everything was normal and quiet, Inuyasha was sleeping in his usual position of being perpendicular to the headboard with one foot dangling off the side of the bed and the sheets twisted half around his body and half strewn on the floor. She smiled affectionately as she heard his soft muffled snores from under the pillow he'd pulled over his head. She often teased him about his snores, saying they weren't manly enough to be called snores, but only just loud enough to be called kitten snores. It peeved him off to no end.

Seeing that everything was as it should be she slid his door shut and headed back to her room, allowing exhaustion to creep up on her as she settled into bed and kicked the covers to the end of the bed. It was quite a hot night, and she didn't want to get overheated in her sleep.

But even though she made the effort to be comfortable, she fell into a fitful sleep. Filled with the same images of the dream she'd had the night before…

But it was different.

This time it was filled with fire… the strange man who stalked her… This time the dream was more vivid, she remembered more details and places. But she still didn't recognise the face.

And just before she woke up, she heard the signature remark from her pursuer.

__

"What does this mean?"

AN: Hm, what does this mean? Well, I'll update soon so you can find out ^_^


	3. Bathtime Interludes

AN: Just like to clarify, Inuyasha's situation has nothing to do with ghosts, haunting, Kikyo or Naraku. Absolutely nothing. They're not gonna be involved in this story at all (Big cheer all round!) ^_^

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 3

Bath Time Interludes

__

Kagome slammed the trap door shut after her, heaving a sigh of shaky relief as she crumpled to the floor and tried to catch her breath. He wasn't following her up here, he didn't seem to like heights.

But where was 'here' exactly? She looked up and narrowed her eyes as she slowly stood up again to take in what her senses fed her. She was on the roof of the palace, the highest point in all the palace. Thankfully it was flat and she didn't have to worry about sliding off… what an unusual style of roof though…

To both sides of the palace swamped the hills covered in evergreen trees, dark green and murky… no bright or beautiful colours to lighten the landscape. Not like the South. Behind her were the cliffs to the sea and dull beaches… and ahead was just barren land, filled with sparse trees and brown, cracked earth. When was the last time it rained around there?

"They won't stop talking."

Kagome stifled a cry as she spun and locked her eyes on the man standing a few metres away at the edge of the roof. He had his back turned to her, giving her only the view of his hair and his clothes. Surprisingly, in the natural light she discovered his clothes weren't black at all… but such a deep blood red that it only showed in true light.

She half reckoned that perhaps his clothes weren't meant to be blood red in colour… but only seemed that way now for the countless lives he took…their blood.

Kagome swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. Who was he? She'd left him behind in the palace below… but he was here with her now. If only he'd turn around.

"You can tell them to shut up and they go away… but they always come back, louder than ever. It hurts sometime." She saw him sigh and fold his arms over his chest. There was something familiar about that stance…

"It hurts?" she edged back, looking for some form of escape. But found none.

"And it's frightening too." He told her earnestly. "You hear voices that you know only you can hear… you know that you're going crazy, but you can't stop it. And then you just stop caring."

"Y-You don't care…?" Kagome tried to find the trapdoor she'd come through. But it was gone.

"I thought about it… long and hard…" he turned to face her and she snapped her gaze back to him. He faced her, but she couldn't determine his face. It seemed distorted, even though she could find nothing about him to be distorted. Maybe she didn't know him…? "Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

Kagome didn't think she could answer that without making this situation worse. She lowered her head and prayed a miracle would strike.

After a moment of silence he cocked his head. "Come here."

Against her will, her feet obeyed his command. But she wasn't completely against his order… she half wanted to reach out and comfort him. Tell him it was ok…

She stopped before him, her head still bowed to stare at his chest. She saw his hand reach out but didn't flinch when he smoothed her hair back from her cheek, to tuck it behind her ear. His touch was cold as he returned his thumb to tracing her jaw. "Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

"You're insane…" she told him in barely a whisper. "Please let me go…?"

"I don't feel insane. I feel perfectly fine, actually." For a moment confusion seemed to enter his care-free eyes, and Kagome looked up past his chin to see it. A semblance of sanity maybe? He noticed her concerned gaze and suddenly smirked, his hand moving down from her jaw to fist in the front of her kimono. "I hate pity, bitch."

He lifted her clean into the air and spun to dangle her over the edge of the roof. "No!" she struggled with his grip on her clothes… she seemed to be slipping out of them as her sashes and ties loosened with his hold. She was going to fall no matter what he did. "Please-"

"Fall's coming." He released her.

She screamed as an almost euphoric weightlessness feeling wrapped around her. There was no roar of wind… only below her she could hear the roar of hungry flames.

Before she disappeared into the fire she heard his voice yell out above her. "What does **this** _mean?!"_

Her bed caught her fall and she jerked awake with a half cry. At once she felt a hand tensed on her shoulder and she reacted without thinking, clawing at his hand… she didn't want him to throw her off the roof again.

"Kagome – relax!" she heard Inuyasha's familiar voice snap at her as he removed his hand.

For a moment she sat stiffly, trying to catch her breath and remember who she was along with where she was. She blinked slowly at Inuyasha who was sat on the bed before her, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and ears. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Waking you up." He grumbled.

"Why?"

"Because you woke me up." He replied. "I came in and you were all twitching and murmuring 'no' so I figured you were having a nightmare."

"How smart of you." Kagome closed her eyes and rubbed her hands slowly over her face to chase away the visions of her dream.

"So what happened in the nightmare?" he asked.

"Dunno… maniac threw me off a roof and into a pit of fire." She sighed and looked up at him. "I wish you'd been there. Maybe you could have ripped him a new hole."

"Anyone I know?"

"No one I knew, at least." She shrugged and smiled apologetically. "Sorry I woke you."

"Doesn't matter, no pleasant dreams for me either." He said grimly. He suddenly turned to her with a strange expression. "Kagome…?"

"Yeah?" she asked reproachfully.

He stared at her a moment before shaking his head. "Doesn't matter, I gotta get dressed. See ya later." He left her room with a scowl on his face.

"Not a bad morning person after all…" she yawned and slipped out of bed to get ready for breakfast.

^_^

Inuyasha drummed his hands against the breakfast table in a manner that even he found annoying, but he had to make the noise to distract himself. When it was too quiet, the only thing he could hear was what his mind whispered to him.

__

'She won't do it…'

He coughed loudly and the voice faded quickly, but Kagome looked up expectantly. "What, am I eating too loud for you, majesty?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, just coughing." He patted his chest and went back to eating, as did Kagome.

They were the only two people up that morning since it was still too early for everyone else. He watched her as she ate, forgetting his own food as he let his mind wonder. Despite the bags under her eyes, the unkempt, tussled appearance of her hair, she still outshone every woman in the castle. She didn't bother keeping her clothes straight, she never ironed them or fastened them properly. Some people thought that was lazy, but he found it endearing at how un-vain she was. 

She was beautiful, but best not tell her that. At least, not until the excitement of being new King wore down. Yes, he was still a relatively new King. Three years was nothing compared to the seventy eight years his father had ruled. 

Soft feminine laughter rung in his head and he shut his eyes tightly.

__

'He thinks her nose is sweet!'

Wonderful… now the voices were beginning to make sense. They were becoming less random… and more like observing his thoughts and actions, then commenting on them.

"Kagome?" he suddenly found himself asking, mostly just to create noise to drown out the stupid woman giggling in his head.

"Mm?" she glanced up at him as she liked her spoon.

"You can sense things right?"

"How'd you mean?" she asked, popping the spoon out of her mouth.

"Like… supernatural stuff. Stuff that Inu Youkai can't sense." Inuyasha reclined on the floor, watching her.

"Yeah." She smiled. "I can sense stuff. Like I sense right now that your sense of style went out the window this morning when you thought it would be a good idea to wear that white shirt."

"What's wrong with it?" he picked at it.

"Hardly royal is it?" she smiled, her eyes laughing at him.

"If I wear any more of those stupid high collared, tight fitting clothes then I will pass out when they cut off my blood circulation." He grouched.

"Like that time you were at that meeting and you fainted on the table?" Kagome grinned.

"I didn't faint!" he growled. "I was bored and tired, so I faked a medical emergency to get out of there!"

"Sure." Kagome rolled her eyes, obviously not believing a word of it. She went back to eating but Inuyasha's gaze didn't budge from her face.

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?" she didn't look up.

"Can you sense anything now?" he looked around the private dining room. "Like ghosts, or… spirits… or some kind of invisible demon?"

She frowned as she looked around and shook her head. "The only presence I sense around here is dog demon. I don't sense any other demons."

"Are you sure?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Well… there's a few demon fish I can sense in the lakes outside." She waved a hand in the vague Northern direction. "A few wild Youkai horse… did you know the one named Entei? He's a right old… cranky mustang…"

"Nothing within the palace?" he asked.

"There's nothing supernatural in the palace." She told him. "Why?"

"No reason."

"Oh." She went back to eating. Before she'd managed to put the spoon in her mouth he called her again.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?" she glanced up at him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself before he started. He was going to tell her about what he was hearing… but… for some reason he didn't want to. Why should he? She'd only think he was crazy too…

__

'You're a coward' the female voice whispered.

He almost told the voice to 'shut up' aloud… but caught himself just in time. That wouldn't sit well with Kagome. He glanced up at her, trying to see if she could hear the same things he could at all.

__

'Don't look at her… she's an angel…'

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as the masculine voice spoke up.

__

'You look at an angel, you'll kill them.' The female whispered.

He almost looked away from her. _Shut up, _he told himself mentally.

__

'You'll kill her'

'Perhaps you'll kill her anyway. She's not meant for this world.'

'Kill her'

Inuyasha clenched a fist against the floor. Kagome looked up at him, noticing his stare, she blinked in surprise. "You want something?"

__

'Kill the angel… look at the angel… kill her…' the woman breathed.

Inuyasha's gaze faltered to the table. _Don't look at her_, he told himself_. Don't look, or you'll kill her._ "I… I have to go…" he told Kagome lamely and got to his feet to leave the room. He could feel Kagome's eyes on his back until he shut the door and found himself in the much cooler corridor.

^_^

"Do you hear that?" Sango raised a finger to the ceiling and observed.

"Hear what?" Miroku frowned inquisitively.

"I think I hear Fushi jumping out the window – you must excuse me but I-" she tried to get off the bed but Miroku cut her off and pushed her back down.

"Nice try, but you're getting strict bed rest today." He told her, placing a hand against her forehead. "You overexerted yourself last night, not good for a woman in your condition in such heat."

"What would you know?" She hissed vehemently. "You're not a woman – you don't know what I can and can't do!"

"You carry on like that and you'll just hurt yourself again." He patted her belly gently with a smile and stood up. "I'm sure Kagome will be willing to baby-sit Fushi for today. I'll look after Reiko."

"I'll be fine, if you'd just let me up." She tried again to sit up but Miroku only pushed her back down yet again.

"You'll be fine, if you'd just let _me _do everything today." He told her gently but firmly.

"Fine." She folded her arms over her chest. "If you're so capable, go to the seamstress and tell her Fushi needs more clothes, he's shooting up like a weed. She'll probably still be asleep so you better knock on her door and wake her up."

"Are you sure?" Miroku suddenly looked a little uneasy. "I just spoke to the old crone yesterday… I've had my fill of insults and abuse for the rest of the week from that woman."

"Oh, don't worry." Sango waved a hand. "She won't mind if you wake her up."

She would mind. She would mind a lot. Sango smiled cheerfully as he husband left her side and went to do as she asked. She rolled over and face the window with an evil smile on her face. What an evil, evil wife she was…

Somehow lying on her side didn't help her aching back and she rolled back the other way to face the door, and had the scare of her life. "What the-!" she almost fell off the bed in surprise to see Inuyasha sitting on a simple chair beside the bed. She sat up at once, immediately regretting the action as pain laced up her spine. She flopped back down. "How the hell did you get in here?!" she'd only turned her back for a few moments…

"Through the door?" he shrugged. "Didn't you hear me?"

"No." Sango ran a hand over her damp forehead and pushed her bangs aside.

"I need to ask you something." He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. "Um… I don't know how to say it…"

Sango raised a sly eyebrow at him. "Not about Kagome is it? Because she asked about you too."

"This has nothing to do with her." He said with a roll of his eyes. She turned a sour look on him and sniffed.

"Well then spit it out already."

"Do you ever… hear things…?" he asked slowly.

"I hear things all the time. Quite annoying things like the sound of your voice right now." She said dryly.

"No… I mean… do you ever hear voices… in your head?" he was wringing his hands together. Sango noticed the gesture and frowned… it wasn't like him to be nervous.

"I sometimes hear things…" she shrugged absently. "In the mornings when I'm half asleep I once could have sworn I heard Miroku shouting my name… but he hadn't said a thing. Though I bet he was just winding me up… why do you ask?"

"Well…" he scratched behind an ear with a slightly vacant expression. "I have this friend…" he started slowly.

"Yes…" she replied in an equally slow tone.

"Who thinks he can hear voices talking to him. In his head. Telling him to do things." He looked at her quickly. "What does it mean?"

"It means your friend is going insane." Sango smiled. "Please tell me it's Bankotsu."

"No… not Bankotsu…" he stood up and headed for the door. "Nevermind, I was just curious."

She shrugged as she shut the door behind him and settled back on the bed, planning to get a few extra hours sleep that morning.

^_^

Why did Fushi always like to play near the dirtiest puddles? And why, if there was a mud puddle within a mile of the palace, did the boy always managed to find it and fall into it? And why for the love of god and all things holy, did he always manage to make Kagome fall in along side him.

"Two times in two days…" she hissed as she sat in the hot water of the bath tub, scrubbing at the dirt dried onto her arms. "Unbelievable…"

Actually what she was sitting in was more like a small swimming pool rather than a bath tub. But who was she to complain? It wasn't like she was getting the royal treatment for free. She'd had to put her effort in to help Inuyasha by hunting down Sesshomaru's spies one by one. Out of hundreds of staff and servants in the palace, there had been fifteen spies overall… and it had taken the good part of three years to find them all. The last had only been cornered a few days ago, and was now serving his time out in the dungeons till his usefulness as a spy for Sesshomaru wore out. He'd be set free when his information was too old to be used by Inuyasha's brother… but that could be a while…

She sank down in the water to relax and close her eyes. When she opened her eyes lazily, she suddenly shrieked and thrashed about in the water as she drew her legs up and clamped her arms over her chest. She glared heatedly at Inuyasha who sat on the edge of the bath tub, seemingly more interested in the wooden boards of the floor than her nudity.

"_Stop _sneaking around!" she yelled hotly, thrashing a leg at him to kick his back and half soak him with soapy water in the process.

"Hey!" he looked down at her angrily, his eyes firmly fixed on her face. "I only came to ask you a question!"

She spluttered in outrage, knowing her face much have been as red as a cherry. "Couldn't it have _waited?_!"

"No."

"You've lost it." She hugged herself tighter and looked down to check she was hiding everything important… thankfully she was.

Something about what she said made Inuyasha flinch and he crouched down beside the marble tub and rested his arms on the side, his chin propped on his hands. "Do you know of any demon, spell, incantation or enchantment that could create hallucinations or delusions?"

"Uh…" she could think of a few things. But only the things he'd taught her and he already knew. "Why?"

"Just – please – tell me." A hint of desperation in his voice.

"This isn't the kind of thing I'd normally discuss with you in a bathroom whilst I'm naked." She told him hotly, ignoring the plea she heard. "You better leave before I… I… do a miko thing on you!"

"Kagome!" he grabbed her elbow and jerked her forward to put his point across. She gasped and struggled to hide her chest with just one arm. She failed somewhat, but he didn't seem to be interested in looking down there… Should she be disappointed? "Just tell me what you know!"

"I only know the things you taught me!" she cried back, trying to pry his hand off her elbow. He'd caught her in an awkward position, she couldn't really cover herself with her body half twisted towards him. If he stood up to look down over the edge of the tub he'd see all. She desperately tried to think of something to help her. "Why do you want to know? Do you want to enchant somebody or something?"

"You did this didn't you!" he narrowed his eyes at her. "You're the one doing all these weird things!"

"What?" Kagome scoffed at him. "I think I missed the beginning of this conversation – I have no idea what you're talking about here! Is something the matter?"

"No!"

"Obviously there is otherwise you wouldn't be bursting in on me whilst I'm taking a bath – just to yell at me!" she snapped, not bothering to cover herself any more, it was just a waste of effort. "How do you want me to help you? I'm just clumsy old me, Inuyasha! All I can do is make plants grow fast and look into the past with these little visions! Has someone done a spell on you? Because that's all I'm getting from your insane babble!"

His grip loosened on her elbow, but he still didn't let go. His expression softened, but he still looked angry and lost… still pleading. His gaze slid to her chest for a moment, but before she had time to blush and slap him, he pulled her forward, half out of the tub to hold her in a tight, but gentle embrace. She was too shocked to react for a moment.

Was he being perverted? Was he going to take advantage of her? Wait… this was Inuyasha… he'd never try to be that way with her would he? Kagome blushed to think that she might want him to at least try and take advantage of her… at least then she'd know that she was wanted.

But he wouldn't do that. He was getting comfort from her… or giving it to her… he just didn't care what she wore when he did so, even her birthday suit. With a sigh she slid her arms about his shoulders, as she felt his hands flex against her ribs. "What's wrong?" she said softly, close to his ear.

"Nothing…"

Inuyasha half didn't want to let her go. When he held Kagome like this, the voices were silent, and he felt that shred of normality reach him again, and he welcomed it. It was almost as if he'd shocked them into silence… but he knew they'd be back soon enough.

And along with the sense of relief that his head was quiet, his sense of inhibition came flooding back. Only when his hand moved slightly across the wet skin of her side, he felt her shiver under his touch and received the sledgehammer blow of what the real situation was. He'd just burst in on a naked Kagome, grabbed her, accused her of making him hear things only crazy people heard, and then crushed her against him. What could be running through her head right then…?

He suddenly pulled back, forcing her to release him as well. She was still a little flustered and red in the face… and his gaze momentarily jerked to her chest. Well, he was only human… ish. She gasped and clamped her arms over her breasts, causing her to redden even more. He started stand, mouth opening to mutter his apology, when his gaze only slid lower than her belly button under the water. Damn… if the water wasn't so soapy maybe he could-

Kagome's hand connected with his cheek in a smarting slap, made to sound even louder by the fact her hand was wet. "Inuyasha!" she yelled. "You're as bad as Miroku!"

Unreasonable anger surged through him at her slap. His hand rubbed his stinging cheek as he couldn't prevent himself from glowering angrily down at her. How dare she slap him? Everything in the Kingdom was officially his property – including any pretty little human girls! She had no right to stop him from looking at whatever he wanted! She didn't have the strength or the real will to stop him… he knew she wanted him to look… he knew that she wanted him to do _more _than just look…

__

'Get angry… don't let the bitch disrespect your authority…' the woman whispered in his head.

__

'Show her who's really in charge… make her submit…' the man joined in.

His own anger faltered at that moment. Why was he angry? He had no right to be angry at Kagome for slapping him for his wondering eyes. He'd do the same… if he was in her place… probably… He noticed her gaze getting suspicious as she saw the conflict spread across his expression. He forced a gruff retort to her earlier comment. "Miroku doesn't do that kind of thing anymore, bitch. I can't see anything anyway!"

"Why aren't you gone yet!" Kagome yelled. "You've probably just seen more of me than my own mother has seen! Get out already!"

"Jeez," he threw up his hands in a defensive gesture and he turned to stomp out. "I'm not interested in anything you have anyway!"

He slammed the door shut behind him and rubbed his temples as he began to storm down the corridor. The voices had shut up again… but for how long…

All he'd wanted back there was for Kagome to give him some excuse… some reason… just _something_ that proved he wasn't going insane. But she'd done nothing but stoke a dark anger he hadn't been aware he'd possessed.

He spotted his mother coming down the opposite way of the corridor and frowned when he saw her slowing down, obviously intending to say something to him. He stopped as they crossed paths. "What?"

"Inuyasha." Her gaze was fixed to his chest. "Were you aware that you have wet breast marks on your front?"

He stared at her a moment, before looking down at the fairly obvious wet mark of a female recently pressed against him. He scowled and folded his arms, much in the same way Kagome had done to hide her chest. "Leave me alone!" he snapped and stormed past her.

She turned and called after him "It's about time too! Do you want me to tell the seamstress to start making new baby clothes?!" Just loud enough for everyone else in the corridor to hear and turn to blink at their wet King.

"Shut up!" he yelled over his shoulder, desperate to get out of there as soon as possible. 

AN: And I'm gonna start giving you the next chapter titles again ^_^ - next chapter – 'My Dream Man'


	4. My Dream Man

AN: Ok, since some people are still not sure who the Shichinin-tai are, I might as well give a little introduction, as requested. Though there are equally as many people who do know who they are. ^_^ You don't have to know them particularly well for this story, but it might be nice to get an idea to who they are.

There are 7 members all together (seeing as 'Shichinin' means 'seven men'. 'Tai' means it's a group.) Seven villains are just too many for me so I'm only using four of the band.

****

Bankotsu – The leader with the massive sword called Banryuu. (I think it's WAY bigger than even Tessaiga). He's about as old as Miroku, I'd say. He can't read or write particularly well (bless). He was probably the hardest member of the band to be killed in the end. Name translates as barbarian bones. 

****

Jakotsu – quite chipper most of the time, can't do numbers though. Roughly the same age as Bankotsu. He's gay, absolutely hates women and wields a rather tricky sword called Jakotsutou. He's probably most memorable for crushing on both Miroku and Inuyasha… and even more so for once almost taking advantage of human Inuyasha. Naturally that was the same day he died. Name means snake bones/skeleton.

****

Suikotsu – has split-personality disorder, or something like that. He is both a gentle, mild-mannered doctor (who, in the manga, worked with Kikyo for a short time) and an almost Youkai-like alter-ego who belongs to the Shichinin-tai. Basically, he's a nasty piece of work when he's evil. Seems to be a few years older than the previous two members. He didn't live long after he turned evil though. Weapon of choice is the clawed glove. Name means sleeping bones. 

****

Renkotsu – looks like a Buddhist priest, a higher level than Miroku I think. Shaved head and calm, collected disposition. Still, a little more conniving than the others, and a bit back-stabbing. Through this, he managed to live second longest to Bankotsu. Older than Jakotsu and Bankotsu I reckon. He seems more mature. His weapon of choice would be a net of fire. Name means refine bones – refine as in refining of metals.

****

Ginkotsu – composed mostly of metal parts and armour. When he was destroyed by Inuyasha, he was rebuilt by the other members of the Shichinin-tai into a tank @_@. I didn't want to ask… But surprisingly he lived… until he was blown up again. Name means silver bones.

****

Mukotsu – short and ugly. For some reason reminded me of Genma Soatome… Anyway, used poisonous smoke that really only worked on humans. Was killed by Sesshomaru fairly early on in the Shichinin-tai arc. A bit self-conscious of his looks if you ask me. Let's just say Sesshomaru did the world good to get rid of him. Name means something like mist bones.

****

Kyoukotsu – first one to die, by Kouga's hand. Name means something like evil/bad luck bones. Absolutely huge by human standards. Kouga was to him, what a barbie doll is to a little girl. Not really a valid member of the group, he was more like an introduction to the story line. He died too quickly for there to be a real understanding of his character.

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 4

My Dream Man

__

She wasn't being chased this time… there was no sense of urgency to find where she was going… other than the urgency that she just wanted out of the palace. Kagome padded through the halls and corridors, looking around for some clue to figure out where she was, or some clue to where the exit might be.

At some point she found a staircase leading to a lower floor… but it looked even darker down there and her instincts told her to avoid it. It seemed to be the most pointless dream ever… she knew she was dreaming… she was aware as she explored the palace that she was actually somewhere else in reality. She was actually in a bed, fast asleep, but she couldn't feel her real body. This _was reality for her now._

A soft fluttering noise caught her attention and she stopped her wondering to peer at a door to her left. The fluttering noise sounded again and she edged closer to the door. She slowly opened it a crack to peer inside, cautious for all the nightmares contained in the dream.

She gasped at what she saw and threw the door open back all the way. At once a maelstrom of small paper thin wings blasted around her. Butterflies… beautiful and almost surreal as their wings caught the light and glittered around her. It wasn't curiosity that steered her further into the room… just a sense of wonder. She reached the centre of the barren room and raised her arms, smiling and laughing as she felt their wings graze her skin. The little insects swirled around her in a lazy sort of tornado. 

This wasn't a nightmare… it was too pleasant to be a nightmare.

That was up until she felt a jab of pain on the back of her hand. At once she snatched her arms back and stared at the paper thin cut that was beginning to well up with blood. A butterfly brushed past her left forearm, raking a small gash where it's razor sharp wing connected with her.

Kagome gasped and backed away. Looking around, she realised she wasn't witnessing a beautiful phenomenon. What she'd thought were beautiful wings were little picks of metal supported on little black moth bodies. Metal wings with shearing edges.

She ran for the door at once, but the insects only warmed after her like locusts.

"Stop it!" She screamed as she felt their wings nick at her exposed skin and cut clips off her hair. "Leave me alone!"

She threw herself around the corner of the hall and slammed straight into a much firmer and larger body than her own. She gasped for air as she started to fall back, winded. But two strong arms wrapped around her and crushed her to his chest. The butterflies dispersed at once, their wings clinking together like clinking chains.

Kagome struggled to break free, but he only held her stronger, running his hands almost soothingly along her back. "Don't worry, I'll always protect you." He whispered into her ear as a lover might.

She couldn't see his face, she didn't recognise his voice. All she could see of him was his crudely cut hair and strong physique. She didn't know anyone with these combined features. "Who are you?!" she raged, struggling with all her might to twist out of his grip. 

He suddenly drew back and locked eyes with her squarely. Her breath hitched as her eyes widened in realisation.

"Inuyasha…"

He smiled gently and touched his nose to hers, even while his hands slowly trailed towards her neck, bracing to snap her neck. "What does this-"

Kagome forcibly tore herself awake with a strangled cry. She'd found her anchor to the real world and ripped herself from the dream before he'd completed the signature statement. She just sat there, breathing hard and staring off into space.

"What does it mean?!" she asked her room urgently. Surprisingly she didn't get an answer as she put her head in her hands and sighed.

That was the third night in a row she'd had the same recurring dream. Revealing a little more each time. A mad man in an empty palace… but now she knew that mad _boy_ was Inuyasha.

"This is ridiculous." She forced herself to laugh at her own silliness. Inuyasha trying to kill her? Absolutely preposterous! Kagome ran a hand through her hair and slipped out of bed to get dressed and washed up. But she couldn't shake the bad feeling…

^_^

Inuyasha folded his arms as he shifted his weight to one leg, his gaze sweeping the lines of spies before him… all citizens of the Northern Kingdom, but all working for him. Well they were pretty much useless now seeing as they'd all been discovered.

"Well?" Inuyasha barked, making a few of the younger men flinch. "What the hell happened over there?"

They seemed reluctant to start talking. Bankotsu took the initiative and stepped forward, putting a hand on one spy's shoulder. "You tell us what happened. Why were you all discovered?"

"A demon…" the man mumbled, not daring to raise his eyes. "He arrived from no where, he forced the throne from Sesshomaru… somehow he knew which men were spies and had half of us executed and the other half cast out of the palace."

"Sesshomaru was overturned?" Inuyasha's arms slipped to his sides.

"How did the new guy know which men were spies?" Bankotsu interrupted, earning a glare from Inuyasha.

"We… we don't know…" the man answered helplessly. "One minute I was cleaning the kitchen floors, the next, three guards came along and told me a new King had taken power and I was too be ejected as I was a spy… I don't know how he knew this…"

"Sesshomaru… was dethroned?" Inuyasha said again. The men nodded. "Impossible!"

"It's true…" the spy bowed his head again. Inuyasha resumed pacing the space before the throne whilst Bankotsu contained his smug grin.

For a long time nothing was said as Inuyasha absorbed this information. He stopped pacing and looked at the knelt men. "Are their no spies left in his palace?"

"None." 

__

'He's lying…'

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the man. "How can we be sure that one of you didn't sell out your comrades so you could escape with your life?"

The men exchanged looks. "Sire… we knew nothing of the overturned throne until we were cast out… we only just learnt that our comrades weren't as fortunate as us…" the man who'd been speaking for the spies said humbly.

__

'Spies lie… he sold out his friends…'

Inuyasha raised a hand briefly to his brow and closed his eyes as he concentrated a moment on trying to silence the foreign words that forced their way into his mind. He was _not _going crazy…

"My Lord?" Bankotsu stepped forward warily when Inuyasha lapsed into silence. "Is something wrong?"

Inuyasha dropped his hand from his brow and sighed calmly. "You can all go back home. Your services to the kingdom are no longer useful."

He turned to sit back down on his throne as the spies got up, blinking in surprise. They started to turn towards the main doorway, heading out whilst still in shock that they'd lost their jobs so quickly after losing their comrades. Naturally, at least one was quick enough to grow angry.

"This is just perfect…" one man muttered to his friend as they trudged towards the exit. "We lay down our lives for him and then he casts us aside into the gutter because we're no longer useful. He never has to worry about being unemployed when he's here whoring it up with that human bitch…"

Inuyasha's ears twitched, and before anyone was quick enough to register what was happening, he was across the room and had thrown the mouthy spy to the floor.

"Don't underestimate my hearing because I'm a Hanyou!" he snarled, whilst everyone still tried to figure out what was going on. He all but straddled the spy and fisted his hand in the mans shirt as he pulled him up to begin beating him repeatedly around the head. "Don't – ever – call – her – a – bitch!" he punctuated each word with an unrestrained punch.

"Lord Inuyasha!" Bankotsu was the first to react and ran to try and grab Inuyasha's shoulder to drag him off the man. But the young King only threw him off and carried on thrashing the spy without any inhibitions.

Spies raced forward and grappled with him, managing with a collective effort, to overpower the young lord and drag him off the beaten soldier. Even then Inuyasha managed to rip free of their hold and stood on his own, shoving away their hands. "Don't touch me!" he snapped, not noticing the concerned stares he was receiving. He glared down at the bloodied spy he'd beaten and clicked his tongue. "That'll make you think twice in future…"

He turned and stormed out the doors, throwing one last thing over his shoulder. "I'll be in my rooms."

^_^

Kagome stood at the back of the throne room, clutching a hand in shock over her heart. Her eyes were wide as she watched Inuyasha storm out of the throne room, after haplessly beating that poor man nearly to death. What on earth was he playing at…? That wasn't like Inuyasha at all?

Sure he was violent, aggressive, jerkish and sometimes oppressive… but…?

She watched Bankotsu move over to the fallen man. The spy groaned, moving his head from side to side before lapsing slowly into unconsciousness. The tension remaining in the room was incredible… suffice it to say, everyone was a little bewildered and bemused.

"Take him to the healer." Bankotsu ordered one of the spies. He turned to the other now unemployed men who were hanging around. "I don't care what the King says, you've served your kingdom well in our name. It would be a shame to lose you all. I suggest you all take up stations around the palace as soldiers. I won't have you unemployed and useless."

The men bowed quickly, the relief evident in their body language. "Thank you, Captain Bankotsu." They all muttered more or less together and left the throne room, trailing after the spy carrying the unconscious man to the healer.

When they were gone, Bankotsu was the only man remaining, along with a few guards around the doorways. He turned and locked gazes with Kagome, whose heart nearly stopped. She didn't want to be caught witnessing that spectacle…

"Lady Kagome…" Bankotsu moved towards her. "How much did you see?"

"All of it…" she stammered uneasily. "Well… sort of… came in when he fired those men…" she shook her head in disbelief. "Why on earth did he flip out and attack that poor guy?"

The startling clarity of her nightmares came back to her. Inuyasha didn't act particularly normal in those dreams either…

"I don't know." Bankotsu sighed. "My best guess is the strain of leadership is getting to him. We have a new opponent in the North. Inuyasha's brother has been defeated and cast out of the island… we don't know who the new threat is…"

"Oh…" Kagome pressed a hand to her mouth in surprise. "Someone defeated Sesshomaru… he must have been strong…"

"We have yet to discover who he is." Bankotsu gave her a smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it's probably just annoyed his majesty. If we leave him to calm down he should be all right soon. I suggest you steer clear of him anyway."

"Thanks." Kagome sent him weak smile that tried to cover the uncertainty she felt in her heart. As she left the throne room through the back door that the servants used more than anyone else, she could help but chew her lips nervously and ring her hands. 

It was almost as if her dreams were coming true. "What does this mean…?"

^_^

"Suikotsu succeeded I presume?" Renkotsu asked, looking up past Jakotsu who turned expectantly.

Bankotsu grinned knowingly as he approached his two comrades that were sat on his favourite boulder, in the middle of playing a gambling game with dice. "Effortlessly I might add." He pulled himself up beside them and clapped them both on the shoulders. "See, I told you he would be trustworthy, didn't I, Renkotsu?"

"Mm." The monk shrugged with a vague 'whatever' kind of expression.

"So the Northern territory is ours now?" Jakotsu smiled happily. "Can we go hang out there now? It's getting boring around this beach… no offence or anything, Renkotsu."

"None taken."

"No, I want you both to stay here." Bankotsu smiled as she shook his head. "Taking over the north was the easy part. Those people up there would accept a new King easily enough. There's no chance of revolt or mutiny up there. They want the strongest leader they can find, so if Suikotsu beat Sesshomaru, then they'd accept him hands down. They _have _accepted him hands down."

"So now we can concentrate our efforts in defeating Inuyasha?" Jakotsu asked. 

"Unfortunately the people of this kingdom aren't as fickle as the Inu Youkai with the stripes." Bankotsu smirked as he folded his arms. "Simply obtaining the throne by killing Inuyasha will not secure my position as ruler. The people would hate me and undoubtedly try and get rid of me."

"Then how do you propose we obtain the Southern Kingdom for ourselves?" Renkotsu asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm already working on it." Bankotsu grinned again, sitting back and stretching whilst cracking his knuckles. "If somehow the people lose faith in Inuyasha, then if he mysteriously disappears, they'll accept a new leader without qualm. Being that he is unmarried and without an heir, then the throne goes to the second in command of the kingdom – the captain of the guard."

"And then we kill that guy?" Jakotsu asked.

"No – because _I'm _the captain of the guard." Bankotsu reminded him. "If the throne is taken by force then the people will hate me. So all I have to do is gain favour with them, and then bump Inuyasha off. If I earn the position that way then no one will argue."

"And how do you think you'll gain favour over their King? You're human remember, and new to the island." Renkotsu pointed out.

"Inuyasha seems to be losing favour very well on his own. I don't need to do anything. Just get rid of him at the right moment and then the whole island will be ours."

"Fine. Just kill him before he marries or produces an heir." Renkotsu folded his arms primly. "Killing a wife or a child so soon after killing the King would look a little too suspicious."

"That won't happen for a while, I assure you. I don't have _that _much patience."

^_^

Naturally, once Bankotsu had warned her to stay away from Inuyasha, Kagome hadn't been able to keep herself away. She'd been on her way to go see Sango and talk to her about her strange dreams, and Inuyasha's strange behaviour…

But when she'd reached her friend's door, she'd walked straight past, knowing that she was walking to Inuyasha's rooms instead. She confided too many of her problems in Sango anywhere… at one time or another she was going to have to buck up and deal with her problems on her own.

Her problem was Inuyasha. So best go deal with him as soon as possible. After all, why put off something tomorrow that you could do today? 

But as she reached his door she hesitated and another more logical part of her brain asked, why do something today that you could put off till tomorrow? And better yet – why bother doing something today that you could just not do altogether?

No… that was cowardly Kagome talking, she needed to see what was troubling Inuyasha. He hadn't been acting like himself for a while now…

She was about to knock on the door when she heard the sound of muffled laughter from within the room. And… was that singing…? The melody sounded oddly familiar. She went ahead and knocked anyway. "Inuyasha? You in there?"

"No." Came the blunt reply.

Without invitation, Kagome pulled back the door and stepped inside, looking around the large empty bedroom to find him. "Where are you?"

"Out here." She glanced towards the window and saw him on the balcony walkway outside. She froze when she saw him, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open.

Kagome didn't often get to see a shirtless Inuyasha. Maybe a few times when they'd gone swimming in the lake with Miroku and Sango… but not often. She nearly swooned when he turned back to face her, but managed to catch herself and maintain a schooled expression.

"Hot day, huh?" he stepped back through the open window and grabbed an ornate fan that was hung on the wall to start fanning himself. He gave her a quizzical look. "What is it?"

"Uh… well…" Kagome had to avert her eyes before the 'heat' got to her. She sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, fanning her face with her hand. "I came… to see if you were ok… you seem a little on edge today…"

"Do I?" he came to stand beside her. "You look flushed. Maybe you should take the yukata off." 

Kagome snapped her eyes up to meet his and blushed quickly, fanning her face faster. "Can't. Not wearing much else under this."

"Really?" she could have sworn she'd seen a sparkle of interest in his eyes, but he snorted and turned to face the window before she could be certain. "Nothing I haven't seen before."

"If it's all the same I'd like to stay clothed." She stared at his back, unconsciously licking her lips and beginning to reach out towards the smooth planes of his back and the dipping line of his spine.

Suddenly he turned and she pulled her hand back, pretending to brush her hair back. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he snapped the fan before her face and offered it to her with a quirking smile on his lips. She tried to get her heart beat under control as she smiled weakly and accepted it… fanning herself to try and cool her burning cheeks. Her heat had nothing to do with the warm weather.

"Why did you come again?" he asked, turning so he could sit on the cool floor with his back against the bed, a few feet to her right.

"Uh… to see if you were ok…" She paused fanning her face. "You are ok, right?"

"Never better." He replied, by all appearances looking as content as a cat after a meal of cream.

"I heard what happened in the throne room." She said quietly.

"What happened in the throne room?" he asked absently.

Didn't he remember? Kagome frowned and laid the fan in her lap. "You beat one of the spies senseless…"

"Oh yeah… he always got on my nerves that one…" he shrugged, bringing a hand up to play with a forelock of hair that lay on his shoulder.

"That wasn't very nice of you, Inuyasha." She said seriously. "He's in the infirmary, unconscious, thanks to you."

He snorted, obviously not too concerned. "Goes to show that maybe Hanyou's aren't that weak compared to the real Youkai, eh?" he chuckled. "He should have watched his mouth anyway."

"What did he say?" Kagome leaned forward to see him better.

"He insulted you. So I kicked the shit out of him." Inuyasha nodded. "And you say I don't defend your honour."

Great… now Kagome felt guilty. That man was beaten because of her? She bit her lip, determined to find out what was really going on. Why Inuyasha seemed so… different than before…? She edged along the bed towards him until she was pretty close. "I heard about Sesshomaru too."

"Yeah, that was funny, wasn't it?" he smirked. "Sess finally knocked of his high horse. I would have loved to see his face. Do you think he's dead?"

"Um… I don't want to think about that." Kagome muttered quietly. "He's your brother… aren't you concerned?"

"Kagome, he may be my brother but did you ever feel the flow of sibling love between us?" he gave a caustic laugh. "Like hell."

Kagome stared at him a moment, with his eyes closed and looking completely relaxed and carefree. A little more so than should be considered normal or appropriate. The new King in charge of the north was a real threat now… but he didn't seem too worried…

He'd beaten his own subject and he wasn't too worried about that either…

She reached out and ran the tips of her fingers through his hair lightly. "Your hair's a mess." She told him softly.

"I haven't brushed it in a while." He didn't move besides opening his eyes a crack.

"Pass me that brush." She told him, pointing to the comb on the floor a little to his side. He picked it up without protest and handed it to her. She sat herself down behind him, a leg on either side of his shoulders so she could have better access.

They did this from time to time… it seemed to relax him and make him more talkative. That's how Kagome wanted him… talkative… maybe she could get answers that way. But he seemed to know her intentions and kept very tight-lipped as she ran the brush through his hair, careful not to snag on knots.

"I love your hair…" she told him, to get the conversation ball rolling. "It's so soft."

"I hate it."

"What?" Kagome's hand froze, mid-brush.

He shrugged, eyes still closed as he relaxed under her ministrations. "I hate it. It gets in the way all the time. I was thinking maybe I should cut it off soon."

The Inuyasha from her nightmare… the one with the dark clothes and careless shoulder length hair… the image of self-hate.

"Don't." she said, her chest constricting slightly in fear of the boy between her legs (how often did she get to say that?!). "It's fine how it is."

"Maybe." He grunted with a shrug.

Kagome forced her shaking hand to set the brush down on the bed beside her. She opened her mouth… but hesitated before speaking. "I love you the way you are…"

"I know you do." Was his casual reply. He acknowledged her love… but did nothing to return it. She swallowed hard and picked up the brush to hold before his nose.

"All done." She told him with forced lightness. "Now you're all beautified."

He stared at her hand for a moment before almost lazily reaching to hold her wrist while his other hand eased the brush from her fingers. She began to pull back, but his grip on her wrist tightened.

It was amazing how such a small gesture sent her heart beat racing so quickly. "Inuyasha…" she said quietly, a hint of warning in her voice. What was he up to?

"You've got dirt under your nails." He observed. "Have you been gardening again?"

"Yes…" she watched the back of his head warily, wondering why he wasn't releasing her hand. "I thought I washed all the dirt off."

He grunted as his thumb absently stroked the smooth underside of her thumb. She watched in stunned surprise as he brought her hand to his lips and gave her a lingering kiss below the knuckle of her index finger.

Her breath hitched in her throat and she shifted nervously. "What are you doing?"

He dropped her hand and turned to her, on his knees, so he was more or less eye level with her. She didn't recognise the expression on his face. Confident… but something else as well… something akin to eagerness or interest. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

She stared at him in shock. "No… you've never said anything like that."

"I should have." His hands were rested on her knees, having knocked aside the material of her Yukata. Upon seeing this, distant alarm bells rung in her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Why do you always ask the same question?" he gave her an irritated look, hooking his fingers behind her knees to drag her forward. She squeaked and would have slipped off the bed completely if his body hadn't blocked her.

"Inuyasha!" she tried to shift back, away from him, pushing against his chest. "What do you think you're do-"

"Oh, cut the act Kagome. This is what you want isn't it?" his hand cupped her jaw, bringing her face mere millimetres from his. His other hand had travelled from her knee, disappearing beneath her yukata to slowly massage the soft length of her thigh.

She looked him in the eye. This wasn't what she wanted… she wanted his love… not his lust. There was a difference. Besides, there was something just not right about him right then. He was acting impulsively recently… she didn't know when he would turn around and smile, or turn around and hit someone. That was dangerous, and it made her wary of how she worded her refusal.

"Inuyasha… I don't think I'm ready…" she muttered, acutely aware of the trail of fire burning on her thigh in the wake of his hand. She was also acutely aware that if either of them tilted their heads slightly, their lips would collide.

"Of course you are. You're older than Sango was when her first son was born."

That was no excuse, she felt like biting out. Instead she tried for a more reasonable answer. "I'm not Sango… I'm only sixteen…"

"Nineteen." He corrected.

"Sixteen."

"Nineteen!"

"Sixteen!" The romantic atmosphere was about to deteriorate.

"Nineteen!" he ground out, his claws pricking her thigh slightly. "You were sixteen when you arrived, that was three years ago. You're nineteen now."

"I was sixteen when I made that deal with Naraku that guaranteed me long life and youth. I'm still sixteen in my body and my mind." She told him a little shortly. "I know how old I feel inside. I'm sixteen."

"Then are you saying you will never be ready, for forever?" his eyes flashed dangerously. She was half afraid to argue with him.

"I'm growing up… just slowly…"

"What's there to be afraid of? It's only natural…" he squeezed her thigh gently, making her tremble slightly. She had to resist… this wasn't him… there was something _wrong _with him. "You and me… male and female… man and woman… ish…"

"Is that all it would be for?" she looked him in the eye, letting him see the hurt.

"What else would it be for?" he frowned.

__

How about love? she wanted to bite out again. "Look – I only came to see if you were ok – I don't want _this!_"

"Yes you do." He told her.

"No I don't!"

"They say you do."

"Who say that?" she scowled, watching the closed expression that settled over his face. Almost like he'd been touching acid, he pulled away from her. Startled at his change in attitude she recoiled slightly as he stood up and glared down at her.

"I'm fine. There is _nothing_ wrong with me! Why do you always say the same things – 'are you ok?', 'are you feeling all right?'." He clenched his fists. "It's so fucking annoying!"

"I'm worried about you!" she cried defensively. "You're not acting like yourself."

"You're not worried – you're just nosy!"

"You're just paranoid!"

"I am not!" he snapped, retreating away from her in fear that his fists would act out against her. "Get out!"

"But Inuyasha-!"

"You make me so fucking angry these days I think I might just hurt myself over you!" he spat, fighting down the urge to raise his hand to her.

Kagome fell silent, looking down with hooded eyes. "Fine." She mumbled, getting up quietly and walking out of his room in an unhurried manner closing the door quietly behind her.

Why hadn't she slammed it? Her calmness irritated him to no end and he struggled to find another way to vent his anger. He caught sight of his reflection in a full length mirror a short distance away. He watched his reflection glare back at him a moment… before the face he saw slowly wiped of all expression.

That wasn't his face… he wasn't the person he saw in the mirror… was he? What was happening to him…? Was he really… going insane?

After a few silent beats had passed he picked up the ink pot on his desk and lobbed it at the mirror, smirking in satisfaction when it shattered.

Was he going mad? He just stopped caring.

AN: Next chapter – 'Reasons for Revenge'


	5. Reasons for Revenge

AN: Well, this has got to be the darkest story I've ever written. I always thought since I'm a naturally dizzy sort of person I'd write dizzy sort of fics – or at least ones that were feel-good. Was never into the angst scene… But I'm allowed to change my mind, right?

I know a long time ago in one of my other fics I said I would one day write a sad ending. I still don't like sad endings… but I promise that I will one day do a tear jerker (or what I hope will be a tear jerker) and that day may be soon. And people keep asking whether or not Inuyasha will get better. I can't tell you that! It'll spoil the story for you! But I can say he's about to get a whole lot worse… sorry… 

And as requested, here is the site that has all of my fics in the fan fiction section. And I mean all of them. Including the revenge one, the get ahead one and the shadow one. (I can't remember the names – how bad is that?!) 

****

http: //www. angelfire.com /anime4/fallin g02/hom e.html

__

(ignore the spaces, for some reason the address doesn't show up otherwise)

Good site for all your Inu/Kag needs ^_^ As well as Sango/Miroku

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 5

Reasons for Revenge

4 years earlier… (ish)

It was unbelievable how easy it was to get lost on the way to Inaki. One moment he was walking down the road from a hamlet on the coast near the Sand bridge, and the next he was… well… he didn't know where he was…

Everywhere looked the same. The trees rose up on either side of the beaten down road. Sometimes he was travelling down between valleys, sometimes he was moving round the curbs of low mountains and hills. That was the countryside for you… nothing but hills and trees with the occasional scattering of villages.

It didn't help matters that he had to ride a stolen horse… one with a will of its own it seemed.

"Turn left." He jerked the reins as they approached a fork in the road. The horse turned its head left, but its body was moving right. He cleared his throat and tugged harder. "Left – turn left, you ass-inine excuse for a horse! Left!"

They went right.

He turned in the saddle and looked at the fork that was slowly disappearing around the corner. "So this was how I got lost…" he refused to acknowledge that it may have been his fault in any way.

He turned back to face the path ahead, glowering at the brown gelding. "Your mother was a mule." He said flatly. The horse just whinnied softly and, if possible, started to walk on the bumpier side of the road.

It was unbelievable… he was the ruler of the South and he couldn't have get a dumb animal to obey him. If it had been one of the palace stallions, then there wouldn't have been a problem. He would have been in Inaki in three days flat. But no. He would not permit himself to walk in the dirt like the average peasant and had to have a ride, no matter how unruly.

Well this is what he got for stealing a horse from a bunch of traders.

Was that a sign post? He snapped his attention on the old decaying post that was half fallen over, covered in ivy and had its sign hanging by one nail alone, also covered by a few large leafs of ivy.

"Left!" he yanked the reins again, trying to steer towards the post. "Hey – are you listening to me?! I said turn left!"

The horse finally started to totter left, towards the side of the road where the sign post rested.

"Ok – stop moving left now… stop or you'll crash into the trees!" he leant right to balance out the weight. Or to just make sure, that if they crashed into the trees, he wouldn't be the first to go down.

The horse stopped at the last moment and stood patiently, acting like the doting mount he wasn't. With a growl, the doting mount's rider unsheathed his sword and leant down to poke aside the ivy leaves that covered the sign. He angled his head to read the upside down sign. "Welcome… to… Kozushima-mura…" he looked up quickly. "Kozushima?!"

He looked straight ahead up the road.

"Where the hell is that?!"

He look up and down the road, peered through the trees and sat back down with a stumped expression. Still no clue…

"Well!" he exclaimed and spurned the horse on. "Perhaps we should just keep going until we hit somewhere familiar?"

They carried on for the rest of the day. Passing through another valley and stopping by a fast flowing river to get some refreshment. At one point he began to realise how hungry he was becoming… but until a new ride came along, horse meat wasn't going to be on the menu.

The sun was beginning to sink towards the western horizon when he finally admitted defeat. He hadn't a clue where he was. It seemed there wasn't a village for miles around, so he couldn't ask any locals where Inaki might be. Even if there were locals they would probably take one look at his white hair and funny ears and run screaming for the lives.

That's what the former owners of this horse had done.

"Maybe we should head back." He sighed to the horse and himself. Though by now he had completely forgotten the way he had come.

"Come on… turn right… turn around…" he pulled the reins hard and waited patiently for the horse to slowly turn in a circle to face the way they had come. "Walk on…"

The horse took a few steps… only to suddenly be brought to an abrupt halt by his rider. Gripping the reins in one hand, he lifted himself out of the saddle slightly to try and get a better view.

It looked like a castle on the side of a mountain. He hadn't seen it before because the trees had blocked his view… but there it was, as loud as day.

A vital landmark…

"Which castle though…?" he wondered aloud, narrowing his eyes.

Actually, taking a better look, he could see that it was no longer an active outpost. The walls and roof was dilapidated, the windows smashed, and an abandoned courtyards beside the castle provided no evidence of anyone currently there.

It was old… meaning it probably wasn't even on the maps anymore. The warlord governing the castle had probably been defeated by another lord, and was now lordless. There were obvious signs of a battle around the castle… trees had been slashed to pieces, and now the rotting stumps and logs lay strewn around here and there.

Even if it wasn't active, it still might give him a clue as to where Inaki was…

"Come on." He dismounted the gelding and grabbed the reins to drag the horse with him as he took off into the trees, heading down the slope towards the old castle.

His path took him down to a narrow brook that ran through the dense trees, then up the other side, up the other mountain, towards the building. When he reached it, he was only further disappointed.

The name plate and flags had all been burnt to cinders and the ashes had long since blown away in the wind.

"Perfect." He tied the horse's reins to a post in the old courtyard and decided to take a look around inside anyway.

That proved fruitless, and it wasn't long before he was back and nosing around the battle ground around the palace. A few broken weapons like swords and spears lay here and there, half imbedded in the ground. He found a couple of arrow heads, but nothing much more interesting.

What would have been cool would have been if he'd found some skeletons… dead bodies… something _interesting. _Besides. If he'd found some sort of body… he may have just found his local to ask for directions.

He turned towards the trees and stopped, frowning as he noticed something unusual about the rock arrangements. Seven large boulders lay in a neat row, just before the trees started. Curiosity spurred him forward, and he walked around them until he realised what they were.

Grave markers. Worn faceless with time, weathered by nature. There were a few characters etched into the rock, but it was hard to read. Crouching down he traced a few characters.

"Kotsu… bones?" he frowned as he looked at each marker in turn. All seemed to be titled with words or names ending in 'kotsu'. He made out one name… Suikotsu… sleeping bones?

"Strange name…" he stood up thoughtfully. Well, sounded like he'd just stumbled upon the seven dwarves resting place. Either way, he'd just found his locals.

Unsheathing the sword on his left hip he felt it hum with a strange power. He took a few moments absorbing the power flowing and rippling around his hands, up his arms. He held the sword in a ready position as his eyes scanned the seven graves.

Many little imp like creatures could now be seen sitting lazily around the graves, scratching their leathery little hides and blinking up at him brightly. Though some were yawning… he figured they'd been sitting around the graves for quite some time. Either way, they were all still vulnerable to Tenseiga.

Without much trouble, he swung the sword a few times, cutting down the small pallbearers in a couple of swift efficient strokes. From an outside point of view it would have looked like he was merely cutting at thin air, occasionally scraping the burial soil.

When he was done banishing the little sprites, he sat down on a fallen log and sheathed the blade back in its scabbard and folded his arms to wait. Unfortunately, these people had died quite some time ago… and now it would take a while to revive their bodies back to their former glory.

He crossed his legs, uncrossed his legs… picked at his claws for a few minutes and then began scratching his name in the dirt. That didn't take long. It was only one character in total. Bah… might as well write the whole name…

A scratching noise distracted him and he looked up at the graves, realising someone was beginning to rise at last. He gave up spelling his name and stood up, folding his eyes and tried to pretending he wasn't carrying two tones of steel swords around his middle.

Amazingly he succeeded.

The middle grave started to crumble and cave in slightly. He watched expectantly, until finally a hand emerged from the earth, flailing slightly to try and get some leverage out of the grave. With a sigh he leant down and gripped the hand firmly, pulling with a firm pressure. After a few moments of resistance, the rest of the earth crumbled and the inhabitant of the grave sat up, coughing stale air out of his lungs and greedily gasping the fresh oxygen in. Taking a few moments to recover, he then looked up at the hand clasping his own…

Claws…?

With a jerk the dead man pulled his hand back and turned a heated glare to the man standing above him. He was tutting and looking at him with pity. "To die so young… how tragic."

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Your saviour. No need to thank me." Was the dry reply.

"No… who are you?"

"Subjects call me Lord Inu. Friends call me Inutessai Higahi-Murayami Hinode Akikawe…" he counted the name off on his fingers behind his back, making sure he didn't miss anything out… "I'm sure there's a Miyake in there somewhere…"

"Inu Youkai…" Bankotsu said slowly, eyes narrowing. "From the island no doubt?"

"I rule the island actually." Lord Inu tried not to look too cocky saying that. "Now I revived you for a reason. I need directions."

"Do you?" Bankotsu began to stand shakily, brushing off the old earth from his elaborate armour. "Well I don't help Inu Youkai. You saved the wrong man."

"Well I'm sure I could always ask one of your friends here." Lord Inu cast an eye to the stirring graves around them.

"Not without my permission they won't."

"I won't have this a wasted effort. You _will _tell me the way to Inaki." Lord Inu's hand went to rest lightly on the hilt of his other sword, Tessaiga.

"Beg me to." Bankotsu folded his arms with a sneer. Behind him he heard a few gasps and groans as the other six members of his group began to force their way out of their graves.

"We're alive!" Jakotsu popped up with a surprised expression. "And we stink."

"What time is it…?" Mukotsu scratched his head sleepily.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow at Lord Inu. "You're gonna regret rising the Shichinin-tai, Inu Youkai."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Lord Inu remained unimpressed. Until he caught sight of the last human to rise from the largest grave. He must have been the size of a… of a huge tree? "Shit…"

"Kyoukotsu." Bankotsu turned and started walking away. "Squish the Youkai and lets get back to business."

Lord Inu didn't waste any time unsheathing Tessaiga and transforming it whilst his swung towards the abnormally large 'human'. The blast of razor sharp winds lashed out, eradicating the man in one rush. Bankotsu whipped around just in time to see the remaining whips of light swallow up Mukotsu and Ginkotsu. The remaining four Shichinin-tai looked on in shock.

"Unbelievable…" Renkotsu wondered aloud.

"Now. I'll say it again." Lord Inu rested the tip of Tessaiga on the ground and leaned on it like a staff. "Where is Inaki? I need to find the warlord to pick up the Shikon no Tama leant to him by a miko. It's for my heartbroken son if you must know."

"Bull. You're too young to have a son." Bankotsu snapped.

"On the contrary, I'm older than I look." A lot older. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, so you better tell me quickly before I…" he glanced towards Suikotsu, the bemused looking human doctor. "…slicken the deal as it were."

"Fine." Bankotsu said through gritted teeth. "Kill him. Suikotsu's as useful as a metal staff in a thunder storm."

"No offence or anything." Jakotsu told the doctor behind his hand.

"Ok." Lord Inu lifted Tessaiga and pointed it towards Jakotsu instead. "If you don't tell me where Inaki is then the guy with the lipstick gets it."

Jakotsu froze, eyeing the sword warily… unfortunately he seemed to have left Jakotsutou in his grave. Same went for Bankotsu… who quickly stepped between the path of Tessaiga and his comrade. "The last time I was alive, Inaki was five miles east of here." He jerked his chin towards the mountain to their left. "Over that ridge, in the valley."

Lord Inu watched him for a moment before smiling and sheathing Tessaiga harmlessly. "See? Wasn't that hard was it?" he turned and headed back to his gelding to untie the reins and pull himself onto its back. He smiled mildly to the remaining fuming members of the Shichinin-tai as he passed. "Good day."

Bankotsu watched him leave angrily. The second time they'd been bested by an Inu Youkai… Something had to be done.

"He killed them with one swing?" Renkotsu had mooched over and was turning over the shredded remains of their three comrades. "Powerful sword. Powerful man."

"It's nothing." Bankotsu bit back. "If I had Banryuu on me it would have been a fair fight."

"Where'd Suikotsu go?" Jakotsu asked, looking around absently for the missing man.

"Who cares?" Renkotsu reached into the graves and pulled up the curved scabbard of Jakotsu's sword, and tossed it to it's owner. He would have done the same for Banryuu… but it was a _very _big sword.

Bankotsu retrieved it himself and glowered as he slung it over his back. "Inu Youkai…" he spat. "Scum."

"Who do you think killed us then?" Jakotsu chirped, moving near to Renkotsu to look at the remains of Kyoukotsu, Ginkotsu and Mukotsu. "The dark miko that was in this castle?"

"Undoubtedly, she's the only one with the power to kill us." Renkotsu glanced at the dilapidated castle. "Obviously she hasn't been here for some time."

"We'll find her." Bankotsu interrupted.

"And kill her?" Jakotsu smirked evilly.

"No. We tell her about the Shikon no Tama and that Inu Youkai." Bankotsu spoke whilst the plan still formed in his mind. "If we tell her about the jewel of four souls, she'll want its power. She'll attack lord Inu and hopefully kill him. Whilst in the process, we can only hope it will lead to her destruction as well."

^_^

How dead on had his prediction been? After a few years he'd returned to the Youkai island, to see if all was… as it had been… and had been delighted to find that bastard Lord Inu had been killed off by the dark miko, whilst the miko herself had been destroyed by Lord Inu's 'heartbroken' son.

It hadn't been hard to find a position in the army, and work his way up to captain of the force in a matter of days after his skills had been noticed. This was the final stage of his revenge. 

The only thing that got on Bankotsu's nerves was the fact that the heartbroken Inuyasha seemed to be picking up well after his father, and was managing to hold the island together… well half of it at least. What would have been more satisfying for Bankotsu, would have been to see all Inu Youkai screwed after Lord Inu's demise. It didn't seem to be happening alone. So Bankotsu was there to just help things along.

Besides, the island held the key to reviving his lost comrades… but he had yet to find out just how. In the meantime it would be fun to just get ultimate control, kill all the royal blood and ties to nobility, then leave them all to rot without leaders…

Or set up a democracy without leaders. Either way, the Inu Youkai were in for a struggle.

Bankotsu looked up as he felt Jakotsu's shadow fall over him on the sand. "What are you thinking about?" the young man asked, pushing a lock of hair behind his ear.

Bankotsu didn't answer for a moment before he smiled slowly. "I have a little mission for you."

"Oh?" Jakotsu crouched down, eager as ever to please.

"Go to the north and tell Suikotsu I have a little mission for him too… and get Renkotsu. We need his writing skills."

^_^

"I'm worried…" Kagome said slowly as she kept a watchful eye on Fushi running through the grass ahead of her and Sango.

"I'm worried too…" Sango agreed. "I haven't seen Miroku in a while… perhaps the seamstress decided to get her revenge for being woken up too early?"

"I'm serious." Kagome sighed at her. "About Inuyasha."

Sango pulled a frown. "I know… I heard about what happened to that spy… broken nose and a few missing fangs… he's ok now though."

"Don't you think it's a little odd?" Kagome glanced across at her friend who was balancing her youngest daughter on her hip as they walked along the bank of the lake. "Inuyasha isn't normally so out of control to beat someone up like that."

"Stressed." Sango shrugged as if that would explain it all.

"And he came on to me last night…" Kagome said slowly, blushing when she heard Sango gasp at her. "I went to ask if he was… you know… and then he… with his… and then he got mad… because… you know… then kicked me out. See? He's acting strange…"

"I'd say you were the strange one." Sango hefted Reiko slightly. "Is that why you didn't turn up to breakfast this morning? You're avoiding him."

"Did he notice I wasn't there?"

Sango shook her head and Kagome sighed. "I've been having these dreams as well… nightmares actually." She stared dully at the grass before her as they strolled. "They're always the same. It's Inuyasha, he's insane, and he's taken over the Northern Kingdom. It always takes place in the Northern palace, and it always ends up in him killing me in cruel and unusual ways."

"Ouch." Sango winced. "Maybe you should borrow one of Miroku's dreamcatchers?"

"I doubt that would help." Kagome bit her lip and voiced her fear after a moment. "I'm worried that they might actually be… small premonitions."

"Excuse me?" Sango frowned at her.

"He seems to be becoming more like my dream version of Inuyasha every day. He's getting wilder… more unpredictable… In my dream he cut his hair – and last night he said he was thinking of doing the same."

"But… it's just a dream right?" Sango asked hesitantly. "I mean – you don't do premonitions, right? You can see what's happened in the past with those little flash visions of yours… but you don't see the future…"

"But what if I do? What if my dreams look into the future now?" Kagome rung her hands. "My powers were always constantly developing because I hang around here too much where Kikyo died… what if seeing the future in my sleep is a new power… in an abstract sort of way?"

"I'd say you're stressing over nothing." Sango shook her head firmly, almost as though if she refused to believe it, it wouldn't be true. "I don't believe Inuyasha would harm you or take over the North. They're just dreams."

"But they must mean something…" Kagome sighed.

"Don't look now." Sango suddenly said, making Kagome look naturally at what she saw. Kagome gulped audibly when she saw Inuyasha crouched on the bank of the lake up ahead, talking to Fushi.

"What are you doing?" Fushi asked, looking over Inuyasha's shoulder to see what he was seeing.

"Looking at the lake." He said in an amazingly patient tone.

"Why?"

"Because I need to think."

"Why?"

"Because I have a lot in my mind right now."

"Why?"

"Because I'm very busy."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the King."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the heir of the former King."

"Why?"

"Because I'm his son."

"Why?"

"Because he's my father."

"Why?"

"Because he had me."

"Why?"

"Because he had sex with my mother."

"Had what?"

Sango's loud voice cut in before he could continue. "Inuyasha! Don't you dare soil his innocent pure mind!"

"Innocent?" he snorted as he straightened. Sango came forward and pulled Fushi away with by the hand.

"I believe some words should be kept from children at this age." She admonished.

"Yeah, like 'why'." he folded his arms. "I'm telling you Sango, Fushi's word torture is enough to make anyone go insane."

A soft gasp escaped Kagome and they both glanced across at her… she quickly whipped about to face the lake instead. Sango shifted Reiko uneasily whilst a slow smile spread on Inuyasha's face. Eventually it was Sango who broke the tense pause. "I'll… go back to the palace. Reiko needs feeding I reckon."

"Why?" Was Fushi's little question as he was dragged off.

Kagome stood like a stiff wooden plank as she heard the sounds of mother and son departing. She knew Inuyasha was still there… though it was very quiet, but she could feel his eyes boring holes into the back of her head. Eventually the silence was too much for her to handle and she turned. "I have to go back now and see if-"

She gave a startled jump when she realised Inuyasha was standing directly behind her. She tottered back a few steps, dangerously close to the water's edge, before stopping and casting her eyes to the ground between them.

"You didn't come to breakfast." He stated evenly.

"I wasn't hungry." She said quietly.

"Of course you were. You were just avoiding me."

"I slept in late, I'm sorry." She tried again, risking a glance up to meet his eyes, but quickly regretted it.

Just like the dream… she didn't feel she knew the boy standing in front of her… It hurt. She wanted him back to normal… she wanted the Inuyasha she knew to come back.

"Well, I suppose I can forgive you for that." He shrugged reasonably, and for a moment, he sounded normal and casual. "I mean, I would have slept in too if it hadn't been for the ballad of little cherubs that came sailing into my room through the window at the crack of dawn singing 'Akimo, Amara and Akiho went a sailing'. Awful racket. Tone-deaf, every one of them."

Kagome stared at him.

He laughed at her expression. "Don't look so surprised. You think I'm crazy too don't you?"

Kagome's mouth worked, but no words could be formed.

"Don't worry." He chucked her chin with a caustic smile. "I'm insane, not delusion. Can't you take a joke?"

"This isn't funny. I'm worried about you." She began nervously.

"You shouldn't be." He laughed and turned to head towards the palace, lifting his arms and yelling at the top of his lungs to the skies**. **"Because it doesn't matter!! It doesn't mean anything!!" 

Kagome flinched at his words. He stopped and turned back, expression level again. "But…" he started towards her again.

"But what?" Kagome edged back slightly, aware that she would back straight into the lake at this rate.

He stopped before her and touched her cheek with an overly tender touch. "I'll _always _protect you. Even from myself." But somehow his tone had sounded more threatening than it had comforting. She forced herself to step aside and out of his reach.

"Well. Looks like the moody bitch of the mood swings rubbed off of Sango and onto you, didn't it?" he said lightly, clicking his tongue and deliberately brushing past her heavily as he started to mooch back to the palace gates. "I'll see _you _at supper… so long as no cherubs kidnap you like they promised. I wouldn't believe them if I were you. But you might want to keep a look out just in case."

Kagome sank to the floor as she watched him depart, her heart slowly, silently breaking within her chest.

How had this happened…?

AN: Next chapter – 'Casualties of War'


	6. Tricky

AN: I guess the reason why I can even contemplate writing Inuyasha as a nutt job is because there are one or two people in my family who have been mad, are mad, or are going to go mad (when they found out I said this). @_@ Seriously. However worrying it may be, I'm holding out hopes it won't be me next, (though don't count your chickens, I'm still young ^_^)

Oh – and I know I said that this chapter would be 'casualties of war' but I'm gonna push that back a bit, sorry! 

And I was going to push up the rating to R, since this is an unusually dark story, but then I though 'nah' I've seen ten year olds handle worse stuff than this. Thirteen year olds aren't little babies.

But be warned – the ending of this chapter could be considered slightly limey. But only if you have great imaginations. 

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 6

Tricky

It was amazing how quickly Kagome's steady image of a happy, quiet little life could be shattered… well… more like crumble, or erode one bold step at a time. It seemed only like yesterday that she'd been living her perfect, quaint little way of life. Good friends, nice view from the bedroom window… an amazing, heroic, steady love interest. No bad guys within ten miles and her only pet peeve was the fact her love interest didn't seem interested. But now that same love interest didn't seem to steady… more like unstable.

It was only until a time like this that Kagome realised her rock had been Inuyasha… he was the one who held it all together for her, and when he failed to be able to hold even himself all together… it started to go wrong for Kagome too.

It was getting to the point where she couldn't even sleep in the room next to him anymore.

The continuous banging sounds against the flimsy walls, the crash of smashing furniture and objects on the wooden floors carried surprisingly well through the rooms. It had woken Kagome one night, and she'd sat for a few moments wondering what on earth was going on… until she'd located a large bang sound from the room beside hers – Inuyasha's room.

At once she was out of bed, her natural concern and good-will overriding her common sense. She had padded with haste out of her room and down the hall a short way to his door, acutely aware that perhaps what she was doing wasn't incredibly smart. The whole situation had reminded her strongly of a time three years ago when she'd heard strange noises and crashes coming from this same room… and she'd gone in to see the matter only to nearly loose her head to a full demon Inuyasha.

That memory made her hesitate from reaching out and pushing the door aside. He didn't turn full demon anymore… not unless he somehow left Tessaiga elsewhere and it was the full moon. But it wasn't the full moon… and she prayed to god that he hadn't thrown Tessaiga away. 

Something shattered against the door, making it shutter violently in its frame. Right then Kagome's courage had failed her and she'd run like her life had depended on it. Somehow she'd ended up in Sango and Miroku's room, crying so hard she couldn't speak.

Sango – naturally worried for her friend, had wanted to know the problem straight away. But Miroku, being all the two years more wiser than her, knew when to just let Kagome rest and sleep until she felt better. It wasn't until morning that Sango managed to get her talking.

"It's Inuyasha, isn't it?" she watched Kagome's bleak face with narrowed eyes. "God – I'll kill that bastard – what has he done this time to upset you?"

"Apart from gone insane?"

Sango sighed deeply and got to her feet carefully, supporting her back. "The palace is talking again… the rumours are flying that Inuyasha isn't in his right mind any more. I suppose he really has… gone… you know…"

"Well he's definitely not acting normal." Kagome pressed her fists against her forehead. "It's all gone wrong… why is he like this? Saying all that stuff… acting like a thug…?"

Sango just sighed helplessly as Miroku entered the room with a bowl of breakfast in his hands and a toddler in his wake. "It's not like he can help it, Lady Kagome. If he really has gone insane it's unlikely that what he thinks he's doing is upsetting to others."

"Then how do we help him?" Kagome looked up at the couple, praying they had their answer.

"We don't know… we can't make him do anything… he's the King." Sango said quietly. "We can just hope he gets better?"

"But when?" Kagome gasped in dismay. "He's dangerous like this – to himself, not just the people around him!"

"We can only wait it out." Miroku said with a light sigh, heading towards the adjoining room with his breakfast.

"What are you doing?" Fushi tottered after him.

"Having breakfast."

"Why?"

"Because I'm hungry."

"Why?"

"Because I just woke up."

"Why…"

Their voices faded as they left the room, leaving Sango to turn back to Kagome with an encouraging sort of smile. Though it wasn't a very inspiring one. "I suggest you try not to let this bother you… stay away from Inuyasha. You can move rooms if you like, get one down this corridor if you like so we can keep an eye on you."

"We have to help him." Kagome shook her head. "We can't just ignore this."

"We can't help him – not yet at least." She added quickly when she saw Kagome's eyes brimming with tears again. "Kagome stop it or you're gonna make me cry too."

"He seemed fine…" Kagome began choking up again. "Only last week – then all of a sudden… he's gone crazy – just like my dreams. What if they _are _premonitions? What if he really is going to kill me – not deliberately – but through some insane action he'd normally regret?!"

Sango swallowed hard and glanced up as Fushi came toddling back into the room with Miroku's breakfast in his hands, looking mighty pleased with himself. She turned back to Kagome who was fighting back the tears valiantly. "Like we said – stay away from Inuyasha and don't go looking for trouble, ok? I'll talk to Bankotsu… maybe he can help in some way."

Miroku stalked back into the room, looking despairingly at his son and his breakfast before glancing at Sango. "I don't trust that guy. We're not involving him."

"Oh come on!" Sango growled, rolling her eyes. "We can trust him – he's captain of the guard! Inuyasha wouldn't have let him get that position if he wasn't worth it!"

"Yeah – well we all know how valid Inuyasha's views are these days." Kagome remarked bitterly. Her friends regarded her silently before she suddenly stood up and headed for the door. "I need to go see Lady Inu, excuse me."

She shut the door after her and Sango traded dark looks with Miroku, expressing their anxiety without actually speaking. It was something they were used to these days. It wasn't like they could talk openly about madness, or war in front of little children.

Sango forced herself to relax and headed off to give Reiko her breakfast while Miroku went to sit beside Fushi at the table. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Eating a carrot." Fushi replied.

Miroku folded his arms with a cocky sort of smile. "Why?"

"Because it isn't a turnip." Fushi said whilst chewing nonchalantly.

Miroku opened his mouth to speak but frowned. "Um… Why?"

Fushi looked at him with a raised eyebrow (worthy to make his father proud). "Why isn't the carrot a turnip? Don't ask dumb questions, Pa."

Sango walked past, voicing the score so far. "Fushi: six. Miroku: still nothing yet." He glared at her.

^_^

Kagome made sure that Inuyasha was no where near the royal bedroom suits as she edged her way down the corridor, heading for Lady Inu's room. But she didn't sense any of Inuyasha's familiar aura… meaning he was probably up and about elsewhere.

Well… seeing as he wasn't in his rooms, she took the opportunity to take a peak, and see what on earth had been making the noise last night. She expected to find a few smashed vases, a few holes in the walls, a smashed window or book case maybe. That's why she was staggered upon pushing the door aside and saw the room for what it was.

She was too shocked the even register the door slipping out of its frame as she pushed it, causing it to crash against the floor, too mangled to be useful as a door again. Almost in mild horror she stepped into the room, picking her way through shards of glass and splinters of wood…

There had been a bed against that wall there… now there was nothing. It had been reduced to splinters, each the size of the nail on her thumb. The bedding of soft goose feathers now lay in an almost even layer across the floor, on top of the wreck beneath. The light sweet smelling breeze tickled across the feathers, stirring them in an almost tranquil like action.

Nothing remained in piece… _nothing…_

With a start she realised that the walls had their fair share of damage as well… the rooms on either side of Inuyasha's were now visible through gaping holes. She could look right through into her room…to her bed… saw her crumpled bedding that gave evidence of her hasty escape last night… what if she hadn't run away though? Would the dreams have come true sooner rather than later?

That last startling thought made her snap back to reality, and she stumbled quickly out of the room, as if scared of what might happen if she were caught there amongst the rubble that had once been one of the most impressive and magnificent rooms in the palace.

Outside she had to lean against the wall to catch her breath, too frightened to look back into the room and see the evidence that Inuyasha was _insane… _After a moment she recovered enough to head for Lady Inu's door. She knocked rapidly, looking up and down the corridor… paranoid that she was being watched by unseen eyes.

"Go away!" Lady Inu yelled back hoarsely. "If you give me any more of that foul brew that I will drop dead just to spite you!"

"Lady Inu – it's me." Kagome called urgently through the door. "Can I come in?"

"Oh – of course!" Lady Inu was sitting up in her bed as Kagome entered. "Thank heavens, I thought you were the healer again with his 'miracle' cure for the fever."

It wasn't until then that Kagome realised how ill the Queen appeared to be. How long had she been like this? "Are you ok? You look short of death."

"Charming. But you don't look the epitome of health yourself." Lady Inu beckoned her forward, and when Kagome complied she pressed a hand to the girl's forehead and then to her own. "Still too hot… do you mind if I open a window?"

"Let me do it." Kagome moved to slide the window aside and inhaled deeply as the warm summer breeze washed into the room, cooling it and warming it at the same time.

"Too damn stifled…" Lady Inu laid back and pulled her covers up. "My throat is raw like I've swallowed a couple of knives and I feel like I'm being roasted over an open flame…"

"You spend too much time with Inuyasha. You're starting to sound like him too." Kagome smiled weakly. "Vulgar to the extreme."

"Ugh…" Lady Inu shrugged helplessly. "His father was worse on his bad days…"

A pause stretched out before Lady Inu turned to peer at Kagome who leant against her bed post. "Is something the matter? It was you who came to see me, wasn't it?"

"Yes…" Kagome slid down so she perched on the edge of the bed. Something about her whole posture reminded Lady Inu of a nervous, flighty animal… "It's Inuyasha…"

"Oh, don't worry, I've already been told." Lady let her head fall back with a flop, closing her eyes. "I suppose they were all drawing straws of who should tell me."

Kagome remained quiet.

"I'm afraid he'll be prone to that kind of thing through his life." Lady Inu sighed. "It's the human flaw in him it seems."

"Human flaw…?" Kagome glanced across at the older woman.

"His grandfather… my father… Lord Suwado, the Daimyo of a domain on the mainland, he suffered nervous breakdowns due to stress at least three times in his life. Once when I was eleven, another when I was seventeen… After I found my home on this island I went to visit and discovered he's had another breakdown." Lady Inu scowled up at the ceiling. "They claimed it was all thanks to me and my preference in species of husband."

"That sounds harsh." Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha's mother just shrugged. "Let's just say it was either leave with Inutessai or stay and become a submissive wife to an alcoholic lord no better at coping with stress than my father." She sighed loudly and shifted, as if brushing off the dark feeling. "But as you can see, it's in the family."

"But I would have thought that being half demon would make him stronger to that kind of thing."

Lady Inu snorted derisively. "Hardly. Inuyasha is a Hanyou… on the outside he appears more Inu Youkai than human… and on the inside he is more human than he will ever be Youkai… but get him to admit that. His body is more demon, but his mind and soul is that of a human. You can see as much when he turns human on the new moon. His personality doesn't change… yet when he turns full demon, his human mind and soul fly out the window to be replaced with a demon's mind and soul… just emptiness and basic instincts, I'm afraid."

Kagome bit her lip as the anxiety began bubbling up inside her again.

"And since it is the mind that goes insane, Inuyasha's human mind would be effected by the human flaw on my side of the family. I doubt Inu Youkai would normally suffer so, but Inuyasha is only a Hanyou, unfortunately."

"How do we help him?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

"We don't." Lady Inu said bluntly, as though it was obvious enough. "You can't give an insane person a drink or a cure that will make all the chaos in his head sort itself back into order. You can't tell him that he's insane – he won't believe you. He doesn't think what he's doing is strange, he probably thinks that everyone is being unnaturally sensitive to him lately."

"There must be something…"

"My father recovered from his episodes after a few months… sometimes it was a matter of weeks. He always got better, he recovered… he was shaken… but he recovered completely. But we always had to be careful that nothing would happen that would tip him off the balance again. And whilst he was in the midst of a breakdown there was nothing we could do to help other than lock him up in a room and put someone else in charge of the domain."

"We can't exactly bid Inuyasha to remain in one room. He'll break out as if it were paper." Kagome sighed, glancing to the door as if she could see right through it into the shredded room that had been Inuyasha's bedroom.

"And it's not like we can tell him he's too crazy to rule. He won't accept that. He has ultimate power as King, he can ignore us and do whatever he pleases. And I dare say that this situation with the mystery enemy in the Northern Kingdom is helping matters any." Lady Inu glanced across at Kagome's drawn face, and her expression softened a little. "Don't worry… it's not like our Inuyasha has packed his bags and walked off to leave us with this nutt. He's not evil, or a gibbering idiot… his mind has just been overwhelmed, that's all. His thoughts are all over the place and they don't make sense to him or anyone else… It takes time to sort out the mess in your head, and when he sorts it out, subconsciously, he'll regain his senses and come back to us. And he'll probably kick himself when he thinks back over all the weird things he's said and done."

Kagome smiled, a watery effort, looking forward already to that day when he would be better.

"So just avoid him for now." Lady Inu told her, like everyone seemed to like doing lately. "He's not all there right now, so he won't remember or recall his feelings for you. My father didn't remember his love for me or my mother… so be careful, ok?"

"Inuyasha doesn't love me though." Kagome told her quietly.

"What a load of…" Lady Inu rolled her eyes. "Right. Inuyasha doesn't love you the way Miroku doesn't worship Sango."

"But Inuyasha has never once shown that-"

"Of course he has." Lady Inu barked. "In his own weird ways, probably." she stopped and looked thoughtful. "What about that time you both got caught in the rain? You both looked pretty cosy to me."

Kagome ducked her head. "Not really."

"You both came in from the rain after that shower broke out whilst you were both under that willow tree. You came rushing in and went straight into his room and didn't come out until nightfall." Lady Inu recalled exactly. "And if you dare try and tell me that nothing enfolded between two wet people in a small room for three hours then you really are a prude, Kagome."

"It wasn't me who was the prude!" Kagome defended herself quickly. "We went into the room, soaking wet, I seized the moment to try and make a move on him, asking if he'd help dry me off. – Believe me my heart soared when he said 'sure'. He went and got a towel… then stuck me on the windy balcony and went to dry his hair off with the towel whilst yelling 'tell me when you're done, then I can turn you over!'. Like a bleeding spit roast…"

"Oh… don't talk about spit roasts…" Lady Inu groaned, wiping her forehead again. "I think I'm running out of water in my body to sweat with…"

"So as you can see – _I _am _not _the prude here." Kagome carried on. "Inuyasha just doesn't realise when a girl is throwing herself at him, that's all."

"Maybe he's waiting." Lady Inu shrugged. "You do realise that if he goes ahead and marries you then if he should die then the kingdom would automatically fall on your shoulders. Maybe he doesn't want to burden you yet, since you are still so young. It's hard being ruler to a kingdom, and a female ruler at that. A young female leader."

"I'm nineteen."

"Sixteen."

"Nineteen."

"Sixteen." Lady Inu said sharply. "You always argue that your sixteen, don't try changing it with me young lady."

"Waiting… waiting for what?" Kagome didn't believe it. "If he loved me but was waiting, wouldn't he at least make a slip once and give away the fact that he loved me."

"Maybe he has and maybe _you _have been too blind to see it." Lady Inu pointed out.

Kagome didn't like the sound of that. Her mistake? In not noticing? Unlikely… She shook her head and headed for the door. "Well… as long as he gets better then we'll all be ok…"

"It's only temporary." Lady Inu agreed.

"Good." Kagome whispered and walked out with a small wave of farewell.

^_^

Temporary madness… it ran in the family apparently… it sounded reasonable enough. The stress of being ruler to an extraordinarily powerful people had been too much for Inuyasha's simple human mind to deal with…

No… it just didn't sound right… Inuyasha wasn't weak minded in any way.

Kagome frowned in thought as she leaned back against the rocks at the side of the spring. She'd followed the warm watered brook up the hills to strike gold upon finding various warm springs towards the rising hills. Just what she needed… a good soak in a hot bath and a little relaxing session. Far away from everyone's opinions on the King… far away from Inuyasha…

"Stop it." She said aloud to herself, catching herself beginning to fret again. She didn't need to fret anymore. It would only turn her hair white and bring wrinkles to her face…

Oops… looked like her fingers were beginning to wrinkle already – though that had nothing to do with worry. She sighed and clenched her fists above the water's surface, fleetingly wondering why there were hot springs on the island?

Probably because the island had once been an active volcano… Inuyasha had taught her about geography like that. How the build up of hot lava had cooled to form rock, and ultimately the island. It would explain how the island hadn't just popped out of nowhere.

For a moment she toyed with the image that the volcano might still be active, ready to erupt beneath her at that very moment…

She shook her head at the ridiculous thought. She almost missed the sound of a twig snapping underfoot behind her… almost.

She whipped around quickly, pressing herself to the rock to hide herself. "Who's there?" But she already knew… she could feel the familiar aura… the same aura that usually accompanied evil, but she knew it too well to know that he was about as evil as rabbit. Though those could be pretty evil sometimes… especially when they scratched…

"Ya know… you really shouldn't come out here alone."

She turned slowly in the water to face back the other away… across the other side of the spring, standing on the grassy verge before the water was Inuyasha. That same disturbing smirk on his face that he usually only used whilst talking to enemies. Kagome felt her stress hit her full force, a trembling feeling curled in the pit of her stomach, making her feel sick and weak at the same time. She was too far from the palace… there was no one that she could call for help. No one to stop Inuyasha…

And he would be worse today than yesterday… she knew that much. She just couldn't deal with him right now. He was too much for her to handle.

"You followed me." Was about as much as she could manage.

"You really shouldn't come out here alone." He repeated in the same tone as he had before. "There are all kinds of scum lurking in this forest, ready to take advantage of a pretty human girl like you. A pretty naked girl I may add."

As he spoke he had begun unfastening the royal cuffs around his forearms, letting them drop carelessly to the floor, to disappear into the dense ivy that covered the ground. Kagome stared at the ivy in stiff realisation, she raised her eyes to see him beginning to loosen the sash around his waist to pull his over shirt free, shrugging out of it. "They might just see you bathing in the spring and decide that no one could hear you scream if they tried to take something of you…" he began shrugging out of his under shirt as well. "They'd only have to slip into the spring with you."

"Stop it… what are you doing?" Kagome frowned with increasing worry at the clothes that were fast heaping on the ivy. "Inuyasha-"

"Well I beat them to it." He shot her a smile with narrowed eyes. No pleasantness surrounded that smile…

"Stop it – Inuyasha just stop right now!" She edged back along the rocks, keeping her body ducked in the water and hidden from view. "Don't do this! You're not thinking straight!"

"I'm thinking fine." He shrugged and sat down for a moment to pull his boots off. "But wouldn't you like to know what I'm thinking?"

"Please don't…" Kagome shook her head slightly, a strange tingling stir of power spread through her limbs. Her faint powers… they often liked to show up when she was terrified… actually, more like petrified. She couldn't deny that she was scared beyond all reason right then.

"I'm thinking that maybe you're too loud. Too opinionated for your own good. People don't like that, Kagome." His expression turned slightly stormy as he dumped one boot over his shoulder and started on the other foot. "Men don't like that. I know guys who would beat you for opening your mouth in the presence of others."

"Not… men like you…?" she asked timidly.

"Not like me, no." he said breezily. "But I'm worried about you, you know that right? If your carry on opening your mouth in the presence of others then someone might decide to try and shut you up. I don't want to see you hurt like that, Kagome."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said warily as he threw the second boot aside and stood up, barefoot. Her hands were creeping to grip the rocks and ivy behind her. He seemed to have stopped undressing, thank the heavens above, leaving only his three quarter length hakama on that usually tucked into his boots. 

"So I've been thinking maybe I should shut you up before they do." He said somewhat harshly. She visibly froze. "Oh don't worry – I won't break your jaw or anything like that. Well… maybe a little, but that would heal in time. I was thinking more like break your _spirit_. A woman without her spirit doesn't speak out of terms… she does only what she's told to do, and she'll be the submissive bitch she was supposed to be."

"Oh god… don't do this… please…" she begged, not afraid to show him how much his words affected her.

"It's for your own good. I'm protecting you." He said reasonably and started forward, stepping into the shallow end of the spring. Kagome's hands fisted in the ivy and her control failed her. The fragile barriers that held her weak miko powers in check evaporated and she felt the tingling rush of power spill through her fingers, into the ivy and spread along the vines and coils like an uncontrollable gush of water from a real spillage. She didn't even realise she was doing anything impressive until she saw the ivy snake out behind Inuyasha, seizing him by the wrists and middle.

He stopped to look down at his immobile wrists with vague annoyance. The ivy retracted, forcing him to step back, out of water and into the mess of ivy beneath his feet… a bit of a mistake when new tendrils began winding around his ankles. A particularly long vine was sliding up back, over his shoulder and winding around his neck to brush against his jaw on the other side. He regarded it all with only slight interest before looking up at her.

As soon as she realised it was her that was doing it, she pulled her hands away, ceasing the flow of magic… or power… whatever it was that allowed her to manipulate nature in such a way. But even though the source of the power disappeared, the ivy still gripped Inuyasha like a vice.

"See, this is what I mean." He said patiently. "If you were a normal girl you wouldn't even think about resisting me. Can't you see I'm only trying to help."

"You're being cruel." She whispered.

"Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Every good leader knows that sometimes your job can't all be about being nice and polite and reducing taxes and housing the homeless. Sometimes you have to let the beggars die to rid yourself of the problem."

"This isn't like you!" She cried, emboldened with the fact he was held tight by the ivy.

"No – this is the solution to the problem." He bit out.

"There is no problem."

"The problem is you!" he snapped. "Pretending to be Kikyo with your pathetic little powers! They can't stop me!" he jerked his arm forward, ripping his wrist free of the ivy and proceeded to tear the rest of the bondage away. The ivy just fell back lifeless into a heap, like it had never been alive in the first place. Kagome's mouth went dry and she swallowed hard. Her courage failed her and she lost her voice and her will to argue with him.

"You want me to tell you about Kikyo's power?" Inuyasha began wading forward, unhindered by nothing. Red marks dotted his skin here and there where the ivy's poison had rubbed off… just like her hands now were hot and red. "Kikyo could make a barrier of magic crumble with the merest touch. She could conjure forces more powerful than nature and bring anyone and anything to their knees. She could bring down a palace… she nearly brought down this one. She could pick a skull out of the ground and read it's history with only a passing gaze."

Kagome hadn't even bothered to try and escape. Where would the point be in that? But what he was saying was hurting more than anything he could do to her physically now.

"Her power surpassed nature… it was unnatural… supernatural…" He stood before her, his presence pressing in on her so much it was suffocating her. She leaned back against the rocks, once more, not caring if he saw her body or not. This wasn't the time to be shy. This was the time to freak out and cry.

"You're so like her…" he smoothed her damp fringe away from her face, examining her for her similarities with her cousin. "But you're so unlike her. She knew when to shut her mouth… but you hold a power over her that she could never reach. You shouldn't try to best your predecessors Kagome, it's rude." His hand fisted in her hair and tugged her forward despite her gasp of pain. "Someone has to teach manners to the peasant. And since I'm usually the one stuck with all the dirty work, it will have to be me."

"Inuyasha… please…" she whimpered in pain, eyes screwed tightly shut.

"Why're you scared, Kagome? You shouldn't be. I'm only helping you out of what could be a nasty situation." He told her gently. "Don't cry, I hate seeing you cry."

"_You're _making me cry…" she whispered, really only a rush of air than actual words. 

"Don't worry, I'll _always _protect you." He whispered back with a smile playing on his tone. "It'll be ok from now on. It'll hurt for a while, but you'll get better. But you'll be better than before, you'll be normal."

"Don't do this to me, Inuyasha!" she cried out in full volume when she felt his hand touch her under the water in a place only she had ever been allowed. "If you want to protect me – it's from you!" She choked in the pain she received from both his hands. "God… don't…!" she tried to twist away but his hand in her hair prevented such movement. "I love you – and if you had even remotely a fraction of the feeling for me that I have for you then you wouldn't do this! **_Please_**!"

His hand froze against her, and she quickly darted a fevered look to see what he was thinking. It was as clear as crystal, the emotion in his eyes… not extreme, but she could see the confusion and slight desperation in them. He was as lost as she was helpless against him.

All of a sudden she found herself shoved back against the rocks behind her, winding her and nearly causing her to faint with relief and lack of oxygen. When her focus came back to her she looked up to see Inuyasha backing away from her, this time his expression so dark and revoking that she thought she was looking at a different person. "Inuyasha…" she whispered out.

"You're tricky… tricky…" he turned and started wading back for the grassy verge. "Tricky… tricky… tricky…"

__

He's still in there… somewhere in all that chaos… Kagome thought, her body moving forward despite better judgement. "Inuyasha! Wait!" 

He didn't wait. He scrambled onto the bank hurriedly and skimmed down as he ran away, to pick up his under shirt. He didn't bother with anything else. He ran from the spring, all the while muttering the same word under his breath in a chant. "Tricky…"

Some part of her wanted to call him back to her, but the second, much larger part of her, was glad to see him leave, rapidly at that. She was left alone with her thoughts again, staring across at the shirt, boots and cuffs that Inuyasha had left behind. 

That had been a close call… his conscience, or his ever changing madness and saved her. But it was horrifying how close he had been to… It was one thing to know that he was strong, and could overpower her at any moment… it was another to experience it, along with the helplessness of the situation. What if this happened later, when he'd descended further into madness and had felt no inclination to stop?

It was hard to contemplate how he could be this way… when he was so affectionate of her… so protective… but now who was going to protect her from him? How could he just forget her and her feelings for him…?

It was pretty pathetic, but it was all becoming a little overwhelming again, and there wasn't much else she could do. So she cried. 

AN: Right _next _chapter will be 'Casualties of War' Sorry bout that.


	7. Casualties of War

AN: For those who think Inuyasha is a little too OOC… well I have news for you. Duh! If he was IN character then he'd be completely sane and normal. 

And here's a humorous story: I was looking around Mediaminer.org in the Inuyasha section and I came across an author by the name of 'Rozefire'. For a moment I was thinking that a cheeky little cow had stolen my name. But then I remembered (in true bimbo style) that she was me. So now I've gone and put one or two fics up in Mediaminer and since it can support fanart as well, you might like to now that I'll be putting fan art of Life Exchange/Soul Exchange as well. When I put it up I'll put up the link here so you can see it if you want (mind boggles at why though…) I swear I'm not _that _bad at drawing though… well, you can decide for yourselves ^_^

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 7

Casualties of War

It was the classical case scenario. Perfect. So wrong. Girl alone in the hot spring, naked, what else was he supposed to do? Walk away?

"Not likely." He mumbled to himself as he forced a tree and its roots up and out of the ground only to drop it on its side and flop down on it. From here he could look down at the grassy plateau with the two lakes and see the palace just before the rise of forest behind it heading towards the Southern coast cliffs.

He could also see a rather wet looking Kagome emerge from the forest, practically running with her hastily tied yukata and with his clothes, boots and cuffs in her arms. He stood and took a step towards her, debating on whether he should stop her and get back to what he'd been doing before he'd been interrupted. What had he been doing before anyway?

He frowned and his gaze slid sideways as he tried to remember. Nah… probably wasn't important anyway. With a slanted smile he looked back to where Kagome was quickly making tracks towards the palace, hesitantly looking around her for some sign of danger… probably looking out for him. Well he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of attacking her then.

For a moment he stopped and puzzled over that. Why would he attack her? He liked Kagome. He liked her legs… and from here he also got a great view of them seeing as she was one of those girls who liked to wear her yukata with the bottom hem tucked into her waist sash, allowing her to move freely and coolly in warm weather. 

He laughed when he realised one big mistake he'd made. Kagome was carrying his cuffs… he'd dropped them… she'd picked them up… she was the new Queen. Well… actually it only applied to men. Whenever any man managed to obtain his cuffs from him by force or accident, they would automatically become the new King… until I took them back that was. But if he didn't?

Being King was boring any way…

He snorted and flopped back down on the tree he'd felled and laid back against the broad trunk, looking up at the thatch work of leaves above his head. He could make out the faces in the patterns and swatches of light that shone through… laughing at him…

"But it's not funny." He ground out and sat up sharply, glaring off at a young sapling to his right. A fleeting thought… maybe he should teach Kagome another lesson for picking up the cuffs, that conniving little bitch. For a moment he just glared… until it happened again… something fractured his consciousness… a thought or a feeling that made perfect sense and logic… and it turned his other thoughts to a jumbling mess all over again. He doubled over and pressed his knuckles against his forehead as if trying to even out the pressure.

__

I can't hurt Kagome…

The one simple coherent thought that sent him to his feet with a heavy snarl and swiped at the young sapling, cutting it clean in half. "You don't know!" he yelled, full of livid anger. "You **_don't KNOW!_**"

He stood for a moment, letting the anger wash over him, breathing hard and glaring at the top half of the sapling that lay beside the larger fallen tree. His hard expression slipped to a softer one and he crouched down to touch the smooth bark of the young tree's branches. "I made her cry… I shouldn't have touched her…" he lifted his right hand, the hand he'd violated her with and watched his fingers dubiously. "Oh yeah… now I remember…"

He laughed it off and stood up, turning to grip the low branches of a third tree. "But she's so much fun… she squirms… she cries…" he snickered cruelly and brought his right hand to his nose. "She smells good in every way… practically edible."

He dropped his hand and turned cynical eyes back towards the palace to see Kagome just passing through the gates in the distance. He didn't miss the way the guards took in her wet, scantily clad form… the anger threatened to boil up inside him again. His claws bit into the branches he clutched idly, releasing the sticky sap onto his fingers.

"Fucking flirt…" he ground out, ripping one of the branches off, half wishing it could have been her arm. "As soon as I turn my back…!"

He leaned his forehead against the tree and let the tattered branch fall to his feet. "Too sweet…" how many people had he threatened over the past three years to keep away from her? Nearly two dozen men… it was ridiculous… and even more so to have to fire two women for having the same base desire as the men. "Too tricky… she causes chaos… she's the reason why…"

He got distracted as he found himself scratching out random lines on the bark of the tree. "Shouldn't be mad… shouldn't be angry… she feels pain too, right?" he looked levelly at the tree and narrowed his eyes. "Though what would you know? You're just a tree."

He pushed away and kicked the wood he'd cut down. "I don't blame you!" he sniffed and scratched his itchy nape, recklessly with his claws he tore his skin but he didn't care. Itch was gone now. He brought his hand forward again and dabbed the sticky red blood between his fingers playfully. "I bleed… she bleeds… we all bleed." He looked up at the tree with was still oozing sap from the lines he'd scratched out. "You bleed too…" he smirked.

But that smirk slowly faded as he looked at the patterns of his lines. He cocked his head and stepped closer to see the characters he'd drawn. "Skeleton… bones"

Kotsu… he'd written kotsu on the tree. 

He laughed and drew away, stepped over the fallen tree and heading down the slope at a lazy pace. He ignored the warm trickle of blood that slid down his neck, pooling against the neckline of his scruffy white undershirt. He probably needed a bath… maybe he'd go find Kagome and take one with her? He smirked at the idea until he remembered with dismay that she'd already bathed in the spring.

"Dammit…" Well he'd keep an eye out in case she headed in the direction of the bathing rooms again.

That small nagging feeling tugged at his mind again and he shook his head and swept his hand up to brush against his bangs like he was batting away a pesky fly. He grimaced as he tried to ignore that little feeling… what was it…? Well it was annoying whatever it was… it kept messing up his train of thought…

He passed between the lakes and headed straight for the main gates where the two guards were stationed. He saw them look at him briefly, taking in his dishevelled appearance like they had Kagome's wet one. They didn't make anything of it. They just turned their eyes to stare straight ahead as though he wasn't approaching.

Time for some fun.

Well seeing as they liked having fun with Kagome, it was all fair in his book. He meandered towards the man on the left and stopped a few feet from him, staring him in the face. The guard didn't meet his gaze, but only kept staring straight ahead. He waited impassively until the man inched his eyes to meet Inuyasha's. "My lord?"

"Who said you could look at me?" 

"I'm sorry, my lord." The man quickly ducked his gaze to the ground.

__

Too late for that pal…

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and was about to draw his fist back when his name was called.

"Lord Inuyasha."

He snapped an annoyed glare to where Bankotsu was hurriedly descending the palace steps with a few followers. He was holding some sort of script in his hand, but that wasn't important. What _was _important was that he'd been interrupted from exacting revenge on the guards.

"What?!" he snapped angrily as Bankotsu arrived before him.

"One of the sentries near the border," He shoved the paper before Inuyasha. "He was handed this notice by one of the Northern sentries. It's from the Northern ruler."

"Probably that surrender we were waiting for." Inuyasha smirked and opened it out to read.

There were a few moments silence before suddenly Inuyasha crumpled the paper with a grin and tossed it over his shoulder. "You, Bankotsu, are a fucking genius!" before the poor human could protest, he was tugged forward into a rather sudden, bold kiss. But he was released just as quickly and clapped around the head before being pushed aside so Inuyasha could head towards the palace. "Gear up lads, we're going to war!"

No one else seemed to share in his enthusiasm and Bankotsu kept his expression schooled. "Come on." He glanced briefly at the Inu Youkai around him. "Do as he says…"

^_^

"I can't believe you're all taking this in your stride!" Kagome cried at them all. Sango and Miroku exchanged glances as they often did whilst Lady Inu just pretended to be asleep.

"He's gone nuts! He assaulted me! He could have killed me – or worse!" Kagome ranted, beginning to pace along the end of Lady Inu's bed. "Has this happened before?! A-Am I missing something here? You all seem to think it's pretty ok for him to be insane!"

"He'll get better." Sango slipped in quietly, hands resting on her bump. 

"When? After he's killed us all in our sleep?!" Kagome was bordering on hysterical now. The tears beginning to brim in her eyes. "After he attacks Sango? Or Miroku? Or Lady Inu?!"

"He's been attacking me for the past twenty years, no change there." The sick woman said flatly from the bed.

"I thought you were asleep?" Kagome scowled at her.

"I'm allowed to wake up, aren't I?"

Kagome went back to pacing. "I'm dead… I'm _so _dead! My dreams are coming true – he's going insane and he's going to kill me! Or take advantage of me!"

"I thought that's what you wanted?" Miroku commented innocently.

She shot him a withering glare. "I think I'd rather die than have him force himself on me whilst he's insane."

"Yes… I can see where that might become uncomfortable when he's sane again…" he trailed off under Sango's glare. "What? Why're you all looking at me like that?"

"He doesn't understand. He's just a man." Lady Inu admonished.

"I resent that."

"What about your powers?" Sango asked. "Can't you use them to defend yourself if you're alone."

"Tried. Not strong enough." She looked sullenly at the floor. "Not strong like Kikyo."

"Maybe…" Sango started slowly. "Maybe we should lock him in his room with some ofuda charms. That'll keep him in."

"For how long?" Kagome frowned anxiously.

"Until he's sane I guess."

"And how long would that be?" Kagome asked again.

"Like I should know." Sango shrugged defensively. "A few weeks… months?"

Kagome rubbed her face with despair. "We can't lock him up that long. He'd hurt himself – like he always does when he gets locked up. Last time we locked him up when he wasn't himself, he nearly chewed his hand off."

"Don't remind me." Lady Inu turned over and buried her head under her pillow.

Miroku sighed and stood up to pat Kagome's shoulder compassionately. "We'll think of something. But for now, just heed our advice and stay away from the crazy Inu Youkai. It's probably the best advice you'll hear in your life."

"He's right." Sango stood up as well, slowly since she was still burdened by extra weight. "Stay _away _from him."

"That's all well and good – but he's the one who usually comes to me." Kagome fidgeted nervously. "We'll bump into him eventually."

"Not if he's going to war." Miroku said suddenly.

"What?" all three women turned to look at where he was stood by the window. Sango and Kagome went to join him to see what he was looking at.

Beneath the window in the courtyard were many, _many_ lines of warriors lining up… all looking suspiciously like they were getting ready to leave. Kagome frowned. "Where are they going?"

"Best guess…?" Miroku sighed. "How much do you want to bet the mad old King has just decided to head off to war with someone. A better guess? I'd say it's with the Northern Kingdom."

Sango cursed in a very unlady like way. Kagome watched for a moment before turning wordlessly and all but running from the room.

^_^

He heard her door slam shut and his ears perked up at the sharp sound. Footsteps could be heard moving across the room behind him, and out of curiosity, and inclination for some fun, he pushed away from the balcony rail and slipped through her window, into her room.

Her back was turned to him as she rummaged around hastily through the contents of one of her desk drawers. She didn't even hear him coming as she was bent double, tossing stray objects in her hurry. He smirked to himself. She was just too tempting.

He must have been within a few feet when she suddenly froze and straightened slightly. He was sure he was silent… she couldn't have heard him. But it didn't surprise him when she suddenly bolted for the door, he had plenty of time to reach out, grab her hand, and use her momentum to swing her back to face him.

"I should have known you liked to dance." He cajoled, pulling her up against him.

Kagome refused to meet his gaze as she struggled valiantly with a grimace. "Let me go, Inuyasha!"

"Why? Don't we have fun together?"

"No!" Kagome cried, but suddenly kicked herself when his hands tightened painfully around his hip and wrist. "I mean – not anymore! We used to… but not like this…!"

"Oh that'll have to change." He said darkly, ignoring how she tried to lean away when he ran a finger lightly down the smooth curves of her face. "Maybe we can finish what we started earlier?"

"No!" Kagome strained hotly, determined to be stronger than he was so she could break free. It wasn't happening. "What happened was wrong!"

"Mm." He nodded patiently with a thoughtful expression. "Yes. Very wrong."

She stopped struggling to shoot him a bemused look. He regretted it. "You think so?"

"Yes." He said seriously. "Wrong because I didn't finish it."

She renewed her efforts to get away.

"But then you cried." He sighed heavily and started walking her across the room towards the bed, dragging her with him like she was a doll. "Baby Kagome cried because she was hurt and upset." He looked back down at her despairing face, noticing how her lips trembled ever so slightly. "Looks like she's about to go again."

His callous remark sent her over the edge and she started to shake silently with small sobs, closing her eyes tight to try and stem the tears. "Why…"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this… why me?"

"Because you're beautiful." He said sweetly. This only seemed to drag her further into misery as her sobs began wracking her frame and her legs could no longer support her. She slumped against him. "I'm not a post, Kag." He said rudely, dropping her on the bed. Despite her expectations, he didn't climb on top of her. Instead he moved off to her armchair where she'd dumped his clothes from the spring, including his boots and cuffs. "Good thing you left them here, or I would have killed you for them."

Kagome managed to calm herself enough to speak. "You're leaving." She stated, her voice wavering weakly.

"Do you think I'll come back?" he looked up at the ceiling. "God I fucking well hope not. This place is a wreck."

"Who… who are you fighting?"

"The North. Who else? Gonna kick their asses to." He fastened the last cuff firmly and moved to stand above her, looking down at her with a slightly condescending look. "Full blown battle. Winner takes all. So I reckon I'll soon become ruler of the entire island after this. Finally I can move up north out of this horrible prickly heat."

"Just like the dream…" she whispered more to herself.

"Dreams…" He grimaced and turned away, clutching his head. "Dreams… full of metal… claws… blood… always so much blood… dreams… dreams…"

Kagome did her best to ignore his rambling as her own thoughts raced. Inuyasha… Inuyasha with the sheared hair and bloodstained clothes… ruler of the North and in possession of Toukijin. Everything was falling into line with her dream, piece by piece… and she was powerless to prevent it.

"Don't go…" She said quietly. He didn't hear her as he angrily batted at his head, and growled at his thoughts. "Don't go." She called again, louder that time. "What if you get hurt? Like last time?"

"I got killed last time." He calmed at once and glanced back at her with a blank expression. "Do you know what it's like to die?"

"N-no." she sniffled, not liking his tone.

"It's nothing. It's easy. Slightly relaxing actually." He smiled faintly and walked back towards her. She inched back slowly along the bed, but he only grabbed her by the front of her Kimono and dragged her to her feet again.

"Inuyasha!" she struggled to break free again, his free hand moved to encircle her neck lightly. "Sango?! Miroku?! ANYONE?!"

"No use calling them. They won't hear." He said coldly.

"You didn't… k-kill them?" she trembled.

"God no. They're all eating lunch by now. Haven't you ever noticed that when you chew crunchy stuff, you can't hear much over the crunching. I noticed that this morning." He said conversationally, his hand caressing the curve of her neck lightly. "Anyway I was telling you what it's like to die?"

"Please let me go!"

"It's nice. You'd like it." He said quietly. "The pain leaves and the moment seems to last for eternity. It's like… the moment before you fall asleep after a really long, tiring day. It just consumes you. And do you know what happens next?"

"W-what?" she was afraid to ask.

"Shit happens." He snorted and released her, much to her relief. "It's all black like a sleep with no dreams. No heaven, no hell. Just nothing. And then you wake up and you thank the fucking lord that you have a second chance to relish life."

"So don't go and throw it away like this!" she rubbed her throat as she tried to edge around him, subtly towards the door.

"No – cause you see, if I stayed here and did nothing, he will come to me and then _everyone _will suffer. Women, children, you… you'll all experience what it's like to die. You know dying… is a bit like this…"

His hand flashed out before she had time to register or gasp. He tapped her lightly against the temple and watched her slide bonelessly to the floor, her breathing deep and steady at least.

He clicked his tongue and leaned down to poke her cheek. "At least you're not crying anymore. I hate to see you cry." He swiped his finger across the damp tear trails down that cheek and licked it absently as he straightened and headed for the door. "Like salt…"

^_^

The battlefield was set to the usual place battles took place. The same meadow plane that had served as the battlefield for Sesshomaru's forces when they'd engaged the South in a battle for the same stakes as this upcoming battle. Last time it had been a slaughter, nothing more. The south, led by a new, inexperienced King, had literally marched to its death in that field. The Southern army had been weak. After all, who needed a strong army when their leader had been a rather powerful Inu Youkai who no one dared argue with.

But when he'd died… the kingdom had suddenly found itself with a much weaker leader. Something Sesshomaru hadn't hesitated to act upon.

Over half the men in the Southern army had been killed that day, along with Inuyasha. Only Sesshomaru's sword, Tenseiga, had brought them all back to life, stating the battle would be postponed for another day when there was less rain.

That had been three years ago. Inuyasha was no longer the amateur King with a sword he could barely control. The army had grown to become a fair match for the North and using Tessaiga was child's play. They were all pretty confident that their odds were better today than before.

But then again, their King _was _insane right then. That put a dampener on some spirits.

Actually, as Bankotsu looked further up the lines to where Inuyasha rode on the up front horse, he saw that the King looked less insane and more like he had a headache. "Something the matter, my lord?"

"Nothing." Was the bitten retort. Inuyasha kept his eyes closed in a usual scowl with a hand braced lightly against his head.

Bankotsu shrugged and turned back to their path through the trees. Then he saw it. "Over that ridge!" he called to the men. "That's where they'll be waiting."

"Yay." Inuyasha said flatly.

"You're lack of enthusiasm contradicts your earlier feeling, your highness." Bankotsu pointed out.

"So what? My head didn't hurt before? Now it does. Get off my case." His captain blinked in surprise. Earlier he'd acted strange, deluded and slightly irrational… at that moment, he seemed unusually 'with it'.

The air of tense anticipation mounted as they neared the ridge. The challenge had promised that the Northern army led by their 'mysterious' new leader, would be waiting in the meadow for them. They were only moments away…

The first line of soldiers crested the ridge and stopped dead to look on at the meadow. Everyone sucked in a sudden gasp of air – save for Inuyasha who still hadn't bothered opening his eyes yet and still grumbled about the pain.

The meadow was no longer fit to be called a meadow. It was just a barren stretched of earth that had been churned up those three years ago, so it no longer resembled anything like a grassy plane. It was still barren, the ground dry, hard and even… around the edges, the first signs of new life were beginning to breathe… wild flowers, grass, ferns…

But there was nothing else in that field. No Inu Youkai. No horses. No weapons. Nothing.

"My lord." Bankotsu contrived to pull a cautious frown on his face. "I think you should open you eyes now."

Inuyasha sighed moodily and cracked open one eye. Then snapped the other open in surprise. "Where'd they go?"

"I doubt they were ever here." Bankotsu replied evenly. He should have been a crowned actor.

At once a few annoyed, wondering whispers broke out amongst the soldiers as the tension passed to be replaced with confusion.

"Could we have come to the wrong place?" someone suggested.

"Maybe they were afraid and stood us up."

"This isn't a date. It's a battle!"

"What should we do?"

Bankotsu turned back to Inuyasha who seemed to be frowning, deep in thought. "I suggest we wait here. They may be late."

"No…" Inuyasha said slowly, frowning deeper. "There's something wrong-"

He broke up suddenly as his head snapped open and he's eyes widened. "Shit!" At once he jerked the reins of his horse and turned. "Get out of the way!" Fortunately they obliged him as he started to urge his horse in a gallop, back the way they'd come.

"Where are you going?!" Bankotsu yelled after him with a scowl.

"It's a distraction! They're targeting the palace!" Inuyasha yelled back without a break in his gallop. He left them to debate that bit of information as he urged the horse impossibly faster. How could he have been so stupid?! The entire army had been coaxed away with a little note of challenge, while the Northern forces sneakily attacked the defenceless palace! It was so obvious!

Strangely… the nearer he got to the palace, the less his head started to hurt and the more familiar feeling of mindless carelessness started to dawn on him. He did his best to ignore it as he sped on, determined to keep his mind on the matter at hand. The palace… his family, his friends were in danger.

He soon burst out into the grassy plateau before the palace sooner than he'd anticipated, but didn't argue as he charged at break neck speed for the gates. As he neared them, he could see the guards by the entrance were slumped on the floor.

__

Bad time to take a nap, he thought anxiously. Chances were they weren't asleep either…

He paid them no more heed as he shot through the gates, dismounting while the horse was still mid-run. He ran for the stairs leading into the palace, noting how they'd been carelessly left open… and noting how staff and servants lay unmoving around the floor.

A silver tray lay on the floor at the foot of the stairs leading onto the upper floors of the palace. For a moment he was distracted and amused by his warped reflection in the metal.

No… the apathy was beginning to set in again. Something was wrong here… what was it?

He looked about and he realised the situation again. Everyone was unconscious… or dead, he didn't have time to check. But he could hear the raspy, easy breathing of the men and women and knew they had to be alive.

But then why could he smell blood. And not just a little blood. But a strong pungent metallic smell that nearly made him gag as he neared the throne room. He almost feared what he would find when he opened the door.

The fear annoyed him. It wasn't just apprehension or nerves. It was full blown, terrified fear. He's knees were weak and his hands shook as he reached to push the door back. He swallowed hard… he knew that smell of blood… he had smelt it before a few times. Times when she'd accidentally cut her finger in the kitchens, or when she'd carelessly pricked herself on the thorn of the flowers she tended to while she laughed and talked with him.

Her eyes always laughed and danced when he was near. She loved him dearly…

He pushed the door back and saw her eyes. No love… no life… no laughter of sparkle. Just a horrified stare, fixed in terror at the moment of her death. His heart broke and with it, his body.

"**_NO!"_ **He screamed and fell with a jarred motion to his knees. It must have been the madness clouding his mind, or some other incredibly strong force… but for once… for the first time in years… decades… his pain and fear consumed him in one fell swoop. He broke down, covering his face with his hands as dry sobs shook him. "No… Kagome… god no…"

AN: Chapter's getting long so I'll have to end it here. Sorry… Next chapter – 'Relief' – the bad kind. 


	8. Relief

AN: Well that was a horrible cliff hanger, huh? I'll try to ease the pain now…

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 8

Relief

How long did he crouch there? Minutes… hours? He finally managed to lower his hands from his face to brace against the floor, despite the shaking sobs that threatened to overwhelm him again, wracking his normally strong shoulders. It was a strange sensation… crying… with no tears. He hadn't cried since he was a child and he'd dropped a knife on his foot… through his foot. He'd cried with tears back then… but something had changed as he'd grown up. He couldn't cry properly anymore.

But the pain could still bring him to the brink.

He leaned forward, and his hands slid in the slick blood that coated the floor. He looked down and slowly followed the streaked trail with his eyes to the throne where she sat slumped, but stiff, before it. He almost couldn't bear to look at her, but then again he couldn't bare to look away. 

She was still wearing her yukata from earlier. The plain, simple one that Sango and Lady Inu liked to scorn. It wasn't very ornate or eye-catching. But on Kagome it was always eye catching. She was what made the dress pretty…

But now it was almost completely drenched red… literally… there wasn't an inch of fabric that wasn't soaked and sodden with blood. She was pale, from what little clean skin he could see. It looked like she'd been bled deliberately…

Only a drawn out, tortured death could produce such affects… and produce that terrible everlasting expression on her face.

One leg was bent at the wrong ankle and her right hand was missing. Oh there it was… under the table in the corner…

And even more cutting, was the dagger that had been shoved into her chest, almost as an after thought. It wasn't the murder weapon. It was just… just another way to mar her body.

Numbly, he managed to drag himself to his feet again, sure that someone had turned off the volume of the world. He could hear nothing but a distant roaring in his ears. And he was sure the world tipped slightly off balance as he neared her body, causing him to stagger and topple onto his hands and knees beside her. He couldn't summon the will or the strength to move further, and instead lightly grabbed her yukata and pulled her towards him.

Here… the blood pooled everywhere. The ends of his hair brushed the floor, staining the strands a startling colour. It was soaked into the material of his hakama… all over his hands. How much blood had she lost? Surely there could be nothing left in her body.

"Kagome…" he whispered weakly, staring at her pale, smudged face which stared back lifelessly. His hand gripped the dagger in her chest and eased it out slowly and dropped it on the floor beside him. He closed his eyes and brushed his hand over her face, shutting her eyes by force. "Look what you made me do…"

He'd left her… left her to this… if only he'd had more sense he would have made sure at least _someone _capable had stayed behind to protect what he couldn't save. 

He opened his eyes with a serenely calm expression, contradictory to the conflict within him. He wanted to shout at her. Tell her how stupid she was. He wanted to cradle her and weep… he wanted to have her alive and look at him in love… not in fear and confusion like she'd been doing lately. Well she couldn't look anymore.

The smell of blood was getting to him and he had to sit up and set her down, put some distance between himself and the substance. But it was all over him. All over his hands, his face, his clothes… his hair…

He wanted to strip it all off… needed to…

The wet tips of his hair stuck to his upper arms and almost in a flash of anger he picked up the dagger and slashed it towards the blood soaked strands at his shoulder. But he stopped before the blade edge lashed through his hair. A vague, obscured memory hitting him like a punch in the gut.

__

"Don't…" She'd said. _"I love you the way you are…"_

"I know."

Kagome wouldn't love him if he rid of his hair. He dropped the knife again, passing one hand over his grief stricken expression again. "God… What have I become?"

__

An insane monster. The thought occurred with amazing clarity. Clarity that, as usual, left his other thoughts scattered and confused and lost. "Monster… preying monster… what I am… what I was… will be… ever…" he pushed himself to his feet, hands clenched tightly in his hair. "Under the bed… in the wardrobe… where pa used to keep his sword… Tessaiga… destroyer… Tenseiga… saviour… save… saviour…"

Save?

Tenseiga.

For a moment he stilled as that second clear thought forced its way to the front of his mind. Tenseiga could revive the dead. Tenseiga had saved him and hundreds of men in one swing. Surely it could save the life of one little girl.

His hands slid from their bunched grip in his hair and dropped to his sides as he looked up with a glazed smile. He couldn't keep the laughter from bubbling out until he was nearly doubling over with it. "This is perfect!"

He could save her. Yes. Save her and bring her back so she could smile and love him again. That was the best way. But he had to find Tenseiga… he couldn't waste time. Tenseiga… the sword mastered by Sesshomaru – it would undoubtedly be with him.

And Sesshomaru had left the island almost a week ago…

He could still track him – but only if he moved fast.

"Kagome." He rushed to kneel beside her and pressed a kiss to her cold forehead. He looked at her seriously. "Wait for me."

With that he ran, for all he was worth. It was dark outside… how long had he stayed in the throne room, grieving? But it was dark now… and it was the night before the new moon – meaning for once his luck was up.

The Sand bridge would have risen and he'd be able to make it to the mainland without having to waste time by swimming. He reigned in the first horse he came across in the stables and swung onto its back, kicking it into a gallop so fast it reared before taking flight.

He pounded across the grassy plateau and heard the distant sound of the Southern army trekking back to the palace. They'd be in for a surprise when they arrived… that was for sure. He ignored it all as he flitted into the forest, aiming surely for the coast where the sand bridge lay… stretching from one coast of the island to one coast of the mainland, revealed only when the tide was at its utmost lowest – around the time of the new moon. Three nights every month.

He didn't dare close his eyes for more than a second as he ran, for every time he did he saw her corpse. Something he didn't want to dwell on. He wanted to picture her healthy, and colourful. Smiling and rosy. That's the way she always was… and always would be once he got a hold of Tenseiga. 

And after that, he would make the bastard who killed her pay _dearly_ for taking her life from her body. Priority came to restoring that life – but when he'd done that. The pleasure of killing with revenge could be drawn out for as long as he wished.

This _King _of the north would pay. 

The horse fumbled slight at the transition from firm ground to soft sand, but kept up with the fast pace as they raced along the shore, heading towards that strip of sand he knew was there.

The smell of low tide always made him slightly ill… but this time it seemed to cause a headache. He ignored it as he guided the beast onto the bridge, trying to push it to full throttle.

But the longer he rode, the more intense the headache became. It soon became so much that he was sure that he was blind. He couldn't see the path before them, and the roar of the waves on either side of him became distant as though he was underwater himself. Thankfully the horse had better direction skills than him, and kept the trajectory straight.

After an eternity of hard riding, the ground suddenly became uneven and rose sharply. They'd reached shore. The jolt the horse made was enough to unseat him, he was already unsteady from the pain in his head. The impact on the ground only jarred his brain further.

He didn't hear the horse gallop away, without him, nor did he hear the waves any longer. But he could hear _them._ Distant war cries, voices jeering and harsh. They were coming for him. He had to protect himself. To him, he saw the blazing sun over head, a stretch of desert sand around him and parched earth. And in the distance… they were coming for him, whoever the hell they were.

His hand blindly groped for Tessaiga. And he stood alone, on the beach, sword raised and transforming as he pulled it back over his shoulder, eyes closed as he _thought _he saw his enemy. "You wont… GET ME!" he yelled hoarsely and pulled the sword back further, ready to make the sweep. **_"Bakuryuuha!"_**

Phenomenal energy was unleashed from the blade in his hands, causing his hair to billow around him as it lashed out towards the sea… towards the sand bridge. The backlash seemed even more powerful than the attack, and his head snapped back as an almost solid wall of air slammed into him and knocked him off his feet.

A tidal wave of salty water plunged over him, and again, the distant sound of tearing and ripping could be heard. But the sound of destruction slowly faded with his consciousness. 

^_^

"Oh dear…" Bankotsu tutted as he entered the throne room. "I said make it messy… I didn't say redecorate with a blood theme. You practically painted the walls with the stuff."

"You ask, I deliver." Jakotsu sniffed and scratched the itch on the bridge of his noses. He moved to lean against the wall beside the doorway, looking at his work critically. "One of the most annoying kills ever. She didn't stop screaming. She nearly woke everyone up. Stupid woman"

"Still." Bankotsu went over to the throne and nudged the massacred body lightly with his foot, as if testing if she was really dead. "Did you stick around to see how Inuyasha took it?"

"Mm hm." Jakotsu suddenly smiled with self-indulgence. "Cried like a true man. Completely drenched himself in blood… man that looked hot…"

"I take it, it broke him then?" Bankotsu glanced across at him smugly.

"Actually no… he jumped up about a minute later shouting about how perfect it was and ran off laughing." Jakotsu shrugged, still with a distant smile. "You know he had lovely eyes…"

"Really?" Bankotsu hummed absently and crouched down beside the body, inspecting the damage in more detail again.

"Oh yes…" Jakotsu heaved his sword up onto his shoulder as he looked off into space again. "So much pain in them…"

Renkotsu chose that moment to enter, expression remaining neutral as he surveyed the room. Bankotsu looked up and eyes the sack he was carrying. "What have you got there?"

"Present from Suikotsu." Renkotsu came forward and Jakotsu hurried after him.

"A head?" He bubbled. "Better not be Inuyasha's head – he's mine for the take."

"Not a head." Renkotsu stopped beside Bankotsu and dropped opened the sack with a light smile. "Tenseiga." He said, pulling the sword out… or at least part of it. "In one… two… three… four… and five pieces…" he enunciated each piece by dropping the remains on the floor beside them. "Completely… desecrated."

"Good." Bankotsu picked up the hilt and ran a finger lightly over the shattered edge of the blade. "Now all we have to do is find Inuyasha and Tessaiga… kill him and make it look like an accident… then stage one of our revenge will be complete."

"The guards will come soon…" Renkotsu reminded them evenly. "We have to clean up this mess before they realise."

"Right." Bankotsu looked up to Jakotsu. "Go find Inuyasha, wherever the but ball has run off to. Kill him and make it look like suicide then bring the body back – make sure you destroy Tessaiga as well."

"Can a play with him?"

Bankotsu thought about that. "I suppose… just not too much otherwise the body will look suspicious."

"Right then." Jakotsu grinned and slid his sword back into its scabbard as he wondered off through the back entrance.

"What do we do with this lump then?" Renkotsu asked.

"Burn her." Bankotsu crouched down. "Oh look… your glamour didn't completely work."

"What?" Renkotsu asked sharply.

"The glamour you cast over her… didn't quite cover that scar under her chin." Bankotsu pointed before moving the hair aside to grin. "And her ears are still pointed."

Renkotsu snorted. "Details. I doubt he noticed." He waved a hand over the body like he was brushing off cobwebs, removing the glamour. "It's hard to maintain a convincing spell for a long time. All we needed was her to smell like the human girl and to look like her – like I said. He wouldn't notice scars and ears at a time like this."

Bankotsu picked up the desecrated body of the maid and slung her over his shoulder, her white hair spilling over his back. "It got Inuyasha alone, that's all we needed." He said with a curt nod. "You clean up the mess in here, I'll dispose of the bitch."

^_^

Kagome groaned as she came around to a blistering head ache. "Ow…" she muttered, raising a hand to her forehead. Better yet, she'd been drooling on the floor… wonderful…

Why the heck was she on the floor anyway? She began to sit up and looked around her in confusion. It was her room… the window was open… the door was closed… the bed was rumpled and the materials in her desk were scattered everywhere.

Then she remembered. Inuyasha had cornered her, scared her spitless again and then knocked her out… Normally she'd be angry, but now she was just relieved that she'd woken up at all.

She managed to push herself to her feet and stumbled her way towards the mirror. She gasped at her reflection… at the horrible purple bruise that had spread across her temple and her eyes – turning it black. "That bastard!" she breathed, finding her anger at last.

She heard running footsteps outside and turned just in time to see Miroku shoving her door back. "You ok?" he asked, out of breath.

"I'm fine." She frowned slightly, not understanding what was going on.

"It's incredible – everyone just fell asleep simultaneously." He managed to explain as he caught his breath. "The army's back – it was a hoax. The real target was the palace."

"We were attacked?" Kagome gaped at him.

"No – they returned just in time it seems. They found everyone asleep, but no damage done." He noticed her bruised face. "You fell hard I see?"

"No… it was Inuyasha…" she shrugged.

He stared at her a moment before moving forward. "Shit… he hurt you?"

"No – just knocked me out… he didn't mean it." She frowned slightly. "Well, actually, I think he did mean it… but like you said, I should have stayed away from him."

"Are you ok? Does it hurt when I do this?" he pressed her bruise.

"Ow! YES!" She slapped his hand away. "Jeez… common sense, Miroku…"

"Come on." He grabbed her hand and started dragging her out the door. "We are going to put an end to this."

"An end? How?" she struggled to keep up.

"We're going to lock him in his room. Put ofuda spells on the doors and windows and hope for the best."

"But what about the gnawing on the hand thing?!" she cried.

"Well it's better he gnaw on his own hand than yours, eh?" Miroku shrugged as he let her go when she was capable of keeping up. "Besides… at least he'd heal from the wounds he inflicts on himself."

"I guess…"

^_^

Now here came a funny problem. No matter how hard they looked… they just couldn't seem to find Inuyasha. Bankotsu and the rest of the men claimed that Inuyasha had ran on ahead of them to the palace… but it seemed that he'd never arrived back. The guards and watchmen had all been asleep, and so didn't know if he'd arrived back or not.

They'd spent the whole night worrying about where he might be… and the next day searching all over again. Kagome had begun to panic… pointing out that the new moon would arrive that night, leaving Inuyasha as a vulnerable, weak human.

"Where is he?" Kagome gripped her cup hard as Sango sat down on the opposite side of the low table. "Surely if he was ok he would have turned up by now."

"Well… he _is _crazy." Sango pointed out, yet again, like that would explain everything.

"Yes, crazy enough to probably take on a rabid demon bear in his human form tonight!" Kagome's fingers slipped on her cup, making the contents spill on the table. Sango eyed the spillage but said nothing. "What if he's hurt? What if he's lying in a ditch somewhere… what if… oh god… what if he's done a Lord Inu? What if he's been capture by a dark miko and held in an invincible prison against his will and being tortured?!"

"Wasn't in your dreams was it?"

"No-"

"So maybe that hasn't happened." Sango tried to calm her. "Maybe he took a walk and got lost. Or perhaps he thinks he's a rabbit and is currently hopping through the forest?"

"Or perhaps he thinks he's a lemming and has jumped off the nearest cliff." Kagome grimaced.

"Stop being so pessimistic. He's probably fine." Sango shrugged as she took a sip of her own warn drink. "Remember the last time we thought we lost him? He was gone longer than one night and one day."

"I remember…" Kagome's eyes darkened slightly.

"Went out and got drunk with Miroku and spent two days getting over their hangovers in a ditch so they'd look normal when they arrived back." Sango sighed. "What on earth made them think they'd look 'normal' after spending two days in a ditch throwing up is beyond me…"

"Well – this is different!" Kagome fretted. "He wasn't insane last time. Just drunk."

"Same effects."

"And he hasn't got Miroku looking out for him either."

"That didn't exactly help him." Sango said flatly.

"I know…"

"Look. He'll turn up." Sango patted her hand. "He's just like Fushi… or a cat. When he's hungry he'll turn up. And when he's hungry for you… he'll turn up sooner rather than later."

"Sango!"

^_^

"Well?"

Jakotsu slowed as he approached Bankotsu at the tree line, just out of sight of the palace. "I'm very well, thank you." he answered.

"Where's his body? Where's Tessaiga?" Bankotsu looked him over. "You don't look like you're carrying any bodies or swords."

"Oh that!" Jakotsu sighed and looked around, scratching his head. "Well I've looked and looked, but I can't seem to find him."

"Are you sure? He's got to be on the island somewhere." Bankotsu folded his arms tensely. "Did you find his trail?"

"Of course." He nodded eagerly. "By the looks of things he took one of the big bay mares from the stables and rode it from there…" he pointed to the palace. "… through this forest and all the way," he pointed off to the North east. "to the coast."

"Northeast coast?" Bankotsu's arms dropped to his sides. "Where the Sand Bridge is?"

"Yep." Jakotsu sighed again. "That's where his trail disappeared I'm afraid. So I think I have bad news…"

"Shit…"

"Seeing as his tracks disappear at the beginning of the Sand bridge, I'd estimate he's no longer on the island. He must have escaped last night, the night before he new moon. But…"

"But what?"

"Something's wrong with the bridge. It appears he escaped last night… but when I arrived at the bridge in the early hours of the morning when it was still dark… the bridge wasn't there."

"Wasn't there?" Bankotsu shifted his weight. "You mean the tide had risen."

"It shouldn't have. It was as low as anything." He shrugged at his leader. "Big piles of sand strewn everywhere… dunes are poking up out of the sea along the channel, and some of the trees just before the sand bridge are shredded…"

There was a moment of silence before Bankotsu caught on. "It's been destroyed. Inuyasha must have done it…"

"To keep us from following him?" Jakotsu wondered. 

"No… he's obviously gone in pursuit of his brother… probably to find Tenseiga to revive Lady Kagome…" Bankotsu narrowed his eyes. "He thinks she's dead… but he'll be in for a surprise when he finds Sesshomaru no longer possesses any kind of weapon…"

"But I don't see what would have been achieved by destroying the bridge after him… he can't get back on the island now." Jakotsu pointed out.

"He's insane. His actions are without motive or care." Bankotsu growled angrily. "Left the island… this'll delay things… maybe we shouldn't have made Renkotsu put that stupid curse on him. I didn't think he'd be this irrational."

Jakotsu stood by patiently. "The plans not ruined yet, elder brother."

"I know…" Bankotsu quickly formed a new plan to work around the current situation. "Ok… ok… Jakotsu – you go after Inuyasha – take a boat and make sure you kill him and destroy Tessaiga – bring the sword back. You can leave Inuyasha in a grave."

"Does this mean I can play with him without holding back?"

"Yes, of course. We don't need his body anymore. It's too late now." Bankotsu shrugged. "I'll kill one of the guards and make Renkotsu put a glamour on him to look like the Hanyou… Big funeral and voila… the King's dead. Just make sure you kill the real Inuyasha otherwise he might rain on our parade."

"Don't worry." Jakotsu grinned. "But don't expect me back anytime soon."

"Go now." Bankotsu turned and started back towards the palace. "The sooner you kill him the better – and don't forget to bring back the sword."

^_^

Evening set it and Bankotsu found Kagome sitting up in the library, reading like she did sometimes. She obviously couldn't sleep due to her stress… well… he was going to put her mind at ease now. Pushing an expression of sombre calm and slight despondency. "Lady Kagome…?"

She looked up as her name was called and smiled when she saw him. "Did you find him – is he ok?"

He said nothing, keeping his expression serious. His silence spoke volumes, and her face fell. "What is it… what's wrong?"

"I'm very sorry…" he started quietly. "We scoured the forest… we found his body at the bottom of a ravine-"

"No!" her broken shout cut him off and she tore to her feet, the book she'd been reading fell haplessly to the floor. "He's not dead – he only left yesterday!"

"I'm so sorry…"

She watched him, her expression tight and pensive. Finally she seemed to sag, and her eyes started to gloss over with unshed tears. "Oh god… you're serious… he's really…?"

"Yes." Bankotsu bowed his head, mostly to hide the smug look in his eyes.

Kagome stood at a loss for a moment, before firming up her resolve. "I want to see his body."

Bankotsu's head snapped up to see her. He was shocked at her request… he hadn't expected her to be so… bold… as to ask something that upsetting. "I really don't think you should." He said out of pure reflex. From an outside point of view it might have sounded as though he were concerned for her state of mind. But he knew that Renkotsu's glamour on the unfortunate soldier might not hold up to her inspection.

"I want to… I have to… please, let me see him." Her voice quivered at her request, a stray tear tracked its way down the curve of her cheek.

Bankotsu watched its path for a moment before looking her in the eye. "I _really _don't think you should see him. He was down that ravine for almost twenty four hours… his body is cut up and wild animals have…" he trailed off.

"I don't care. I _have _to see him." She stressed her words and clasped her hands together. "Where is he now?"

"He's in a closed casket in the throne room. The palace is in there, at a congregation in grief. He'll be cremated tomorrow morning outside at his funeral. If you want to see him… you should go now." He said evenly.

"Thank you." She brushed away her tears and ran out of the library. He followed at a slower pace, but fast enough so he could see her reaction to the body. Would she see it for the fraud it was? Or would she be too blinded in grief and tears that she'd miss the small differences in the King's appearance. The man in the coffin was slightly taller, slightly wider across the shoulders. The glamour on his face hadn't been perfect… so unfortunately they'd had to cut it up a bit so it was beyond recognition anyway. 

However… the ears were a masterpiece and hopefully when she saw them, it would erase any question from her mind. After all… how many Hanyou's were there on this island?

He arrived at the entrance of the throne room just as Kagome was opening the casket with help from two guards. Around the edge of the room, staff, other nobles and servants milled around in silence, looking on in the same kind of grief that hadn't been shown since lord Inu's funeral. 

Bankotsu held his breath as Kagome looked inside silently, stiffening up in horror… and/or realisation that it wasn't Inuyasha. He prayed it was just the first. For a long time everything was quiet, no one really dared to breathe, they all knew the relationship between the King and the human girl, even though they weren't officially married.

A missing arm here… a shredded face there… parts of the body that would have been 'eaten away by animals'… would she see through it all?

Suddenly she snapped her head around to stare at Bankotsu he mouth working silently, but no words were produced. He tensed, waiting for her to scream he was a liar, that the body was a fake…

There was no need.

Kagome just slid bonelessly to the floor in a dead faint, immediately swamped by people concerned for a health.

Bankotsu hid his poorly concealed smile and walked out. That was that sorted. If the glamour was enough to convince the one closest person to Inuyasha that he was dead, then it wouldn't be hard fooling the rest of the kingdom who would barely know his face in a crowd.

Jakotsu would kill Inuyasha, that was assured. And then the Southern Kingdom would fall onto him… Bankotsu… and the island would fall to the Shichinin-tai at last.

AN: See – no one's dead ----- yet! Next chapter – 'On Sesshomaru's Trail'


	9. On Sesshomaru's Trail

AN: Been so long since the last update… I _am _still alive, thank you for asking. Nearly half dead though from lack of sleep. As I type it is exactly 4:37 in the morning. No joke. And I'm starving… but I'll just post this and then make myself some breakfast/supper and then hit the hay just before the sun comes up and the noisy birds start singing – they like to keep me from my beauty sleep. Better be fast in that case… 

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 9

On Sesshomaru's Trail (not tail)

It was dark when he woke up… but then again, it had been dark when he'd knocked himself out, so no surprise there. However, for some reason it seemed a little darker than usual… and slightly quieter.

He knew this feeling… the feeling that he's suddenly been wrapped up with cotton wool or something and all his senses had dulled. New moon… human night… crap…

Now he ached all over… his neck was stiff and his limbs were cold, and it wasn't until he smelt the tangy salt air that he realised where he was, and what he'd been doing before he'd fallen unconscious.

Destroying the bridge… running from the island because… Kagome…

He lay there for a long time, just staring up at the dotted stars in the heavens. His mind replaying the scene in the throne room, again and again. She was dead… she was really dead…

And he was here because he was going to save her, he remembered that much. He was going to follow Sesshomaru and he was going to get Tenseiga from that chicken legged bastard and revive Kagome. He forced himself to sit up, grunting slightly at the pain that shot through his stiff body. He couldn't dwell on Kagome now… he had to concentrate on getting Tenseiga so he could save her. 

Still… that overwhelming pain and emptiness filled him at the thought of her dead and cold on the floor of the throne room. It literally took his strength away and he cringed as he fell back on the lumpy sand with a broken gasp. "D-Dammit…"

He had to lay there for a while, an arm strewn over his eyes as he tried to banish Kagome's image from his mind. It sort of worked… but he only ended up remembering stranger things…

Things like talking to a tree… desecrating his room… kissing Bankotsu and… hurting Kagome – more than once. What on earth had possessed him to do all those things?

"I really must have been crazy…" he began to sit up again, trying to search his brain for some hint of insanity… some thought that was odd… something to give away that he was still crazy.

He found nothing. Everything made sense and he had no urge to suddenly strip off his clothes and run down the beach naked screaming like a truly insane person. No… everything was striking him with perfect clarity, most of all Kagome's death. His memories were a little rough around the edges, like they'd happened a long, long time ago, even though he knew they'd only happened over the past week.

It was strange… like for the past few days he'd been a completely different person…

And speaking of stripping off clothes…

He looked down at himself and stiffened again. What the hell had happened to his clothes? His thick haori that kept off the cold was gone, leaving him only in his thin white kimono that reached mid thigh, and an equally thin pair of three quarter length pants that usually went under his hakama… which was also missing, along with his boots as well.

"Fucking typical…" he grumbled as he rose shakily to his feet, trying to brush the sand off his wet skin. Obviously some good Samaritan had passed by, seen the unconscious guy with the good shoes and fire rat haori and hakama that was as good as any poor man's armour, and decided since the sleeping guy wasn't using them…

He growled angrily as he shook his head wildly, trying to dislodge the sand in his hair. Sand was amazingly resilient stuff… it seemed to get everywhere… He'd be picking the stuff from his hair for at least another week…

Eventually he gave up trying to rid himself of sand, it was getting him no where, and he had more pressing matters to attend to. Fortunately Tessaiga was still at hand. Whoever had stolen most of his clothes had fortunately overlooked the rusty old katana in his hand. He picked up the scabbard and secured it in place at his waist, slipping Tessaiga back inside as he turned his eyes out to sea again.

With his human vision, and it being night, he could barely see more than a few metres out in the water. The bridge should have risen by now, but being the genius he was, he'd destroyed it.

Why? He didn't really remember… it was all too much of a blur.

For a serious moment he contemplated going back to the island that moment, either by swimming or boat, he didn't care. The point was, Kagome was back there… he had no idea what had happened to her body by now. He'd been stupid to leave so hastily, and he wanted to go back and set things straight before he left on his mission to find Tenseiga.

But another more urgent part of him was telling him to get a move on. Sesshomaru was probably waltzing off to Kyoto by now with Tenseiga strapped to his side. Inuyasha couldn't afford to waste anymore time, for Kagome's sake…

He had to get moving…

Though with human senses, he didn't have a clue where to start looking…

It was time to just 'follow his nose' as it were. He sighed and began picking his way up the slope of the beach, up towards the narrow road that ran along most of the Western coast in that domain. He knew that if he went North he would be heading towards neutral lands where no war lord ruled and the villages were free and, well, neutral. If he went south he would be heading straight for a country called Nagato… a place he didn't fancy going ever again.

Which way would Sesshomaru have gone? Knowing that git he probably would have gone neither way and headed off into the forest, taking the roughest and hardest path to wherever he was going. If he was actually going anywhere, that was. He was a wanderer now wasn't he…?

Well for his sake he better have gone North, because Inuyasha certainly wasn't heading for Nagato or the forest at this time of night. Now where was that horse…?

It turned out the horse had been stolen too. Either that or it had run off, abandoning its master. But that wasn't too much of a problem, not when the land was swarming with traders on their way to a trade centre east of Nagato. And traders often liked to bring pack horses and all kinds of goods along with them on their travels to such trade centres. 

It meant that Inuyasha didn't have to go far until he bumped into a group of traders on their humble way. Six horses and three men… they could spare at least one horse.

Of course, stealing a horse from three men whilst in human form was no easy task, but somehow he managed to distract them long enough to swipe one of the stronger mares and make a quick getaway. He hadn't been followed since the traders couldn't abandon their goods. Simple.

But now he was exhausted and had to fight to keep awake and stop from falling off his new ride. He had a mission… and if he could just make it until morning without falling asleep, he'd be that much better off for it. He had to fight to keep his mind occupied as well, otherwise his thoughts would ultimately lead him back to the throne room… back to Kagome.

He mentally shrugged off the lifeless look in her eyes and forced his attention back onto the narrow road he was following through the forest. On the outside he may have looked calm, cool headed and sure of where he was going… but inside his heart was in turmoil and his mind was in a worse state. He stared glassily at the road as the mare walked on steadily… he wasn't really aware of what was going on around him as he found himself slipping off with thoughts of Kagome again.

The vague memories of the past few days weren't pleasant it seemed. He remembered thinking some of the most horrible things he'd ever imagined… things that could upset even him. Thoughts of hurting Kagome, breaking her arm… breaking her spirit.

He grimaced and shifted in the saddle as he remembered what had happened that time in the spring. She'd been terrified of him… and he hadn't cared at the time. Looking back it was obvious how frightened she'd been, but at the time he hadn't noticed. It was very disturbing. He'd wanted to put her in her place… punish her for being outspoken and different – the two traits he admired her most for. What the hell had been wrong with him?

A cold feeling passed over him as he remembered the way he'd touched her… violated her… seen her pain and heard her scream. He was disgusted with himself, he'd enjoyed it for that split second until she'd spoken about love and made him feel bad and brought his mind to a crashing halt. His memories of the moment after that were fuzzy, he didn't really recall them at all, his mind had been too scattered when she'd thrown the L word in his face. 

That was closest he'd ever gotten to Kagome in that way…

She probably hated his guts. It was nothing he didn't deserve though… not for treating her like that.

A distant sound of laughter brought him back to that moment in time and he blinked out of his thoughts to look up along the road. Ahead he could see a flickering light through the trees, like a campfire. Even with his human ears he could hear the talking and chatter, all sounding light hearted and if not slightly drunk. It wasn't men he could hear, but mostly women and childish voices. 

As he drew nearer to the light and the camp, he wondered what he was walking in on. Some troop of gypsy people maybe? A stray group of traders? There was a burst of blue, glittering light through the trees as he got closer, nearly making him start. Following the burst were sounds of appreciation and cheering. He could recognise that kind of magic anywhere, he snorted in contempt. Wood sprites no less. Well, wood sprites saw lots that went on in the woods, so perhaps they would know if Sesshomaru had passed through the area.

"Evening ladies." He coughed loudly as he came upon the little clearing with the fire and the sprites. They all looked fairly human, but their smiles did not falter as they turned to look at him. Young and old, but all women. "I was wondering if you could help me out."

"He's a bold one." An older sprite chirped. "Arrogant."

"Blame my father." Inuyasha retorted flatly.

"Stubborn." Said another. "Blunt."

"Blame my mother."

There was a general murmured laugh. "He thinks he's good and noble! What a lark!"

"I am good and noble!" Inuyasha snapped, his patience already running thin. "Look – are you going to help me or not?!"

"Help you to find yourself? Find your soul?" a young girl piped up at his knee and he scowled.

"I don't need to find myself – I was never lost! And I know where my soul is!" he thumped his chest. "Right here! I'm looking for a pretty-boy Inu Youkai. You seen one around?"

"Don't be silly." Another random woman snorted. "Everyone knows their soul is in their right arm."

"Or left, depending on which side of the brain you use." Another sprite argued.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Look." He said slowly, like he was talking to children, which in a way he was. "I want to find an Inu Youkai. Just tell me – has _any _Inu Youkai passed through this forest within the last week."

"A pretty Inu Youkai?"

"Yes. Looks like a woman."

"You're jealous." Was the blunt reply.

"What?!" Inuyasha barked angrily.

"Of his superior intelligence and charisma!" a woman crowed by the fire. "You're jealous – yes you are!"

"If I wanted to be the living incarnation of an icicle then I wouldn't have any trouble – get off!" he slapped away the wondering hands of the young girl who'd been exploring his leg a little too far. "I just want a straight answer – yes or no?! Did you see him?!"

"A possibility. We see many things."

"And did your oh so great peripheral vision see the white haired geezer with the fuzzy brush around his shoulder?" Inuyasha demanded. "I need to find him – it's a matter of life and death."

There was a spontaneous sound of sadness of sympathy around the gathered wood sprites. He darted a looked around him in confusion. Weirdoes… every bloody one of them…

"Great sadness dwells in your soul." The girl at his side pointed to his right arm. He rolled his eyes and looked pleadingly up at the heavens.

"Just tell me if you've seen the dog demon and the sadness will go away." He breathed, in fear that if he raised his voice any more than a whisper than it would crack.

"So terrified of his own control…" the old sprite by the fire spoke again. "Will he fall off the straight path again and lose himself to the madness that bubbles under the surface like a scream clawing to escape?"

Perceptive little buggers. "You get paid to be this fucking vague don't you?" he grumbled, shooting the distant horizon a glance over the treetops. The light was beginning to spread as morning approached rapidly towards the crack of dawn.

"Take the leap, why doesn't he?"

"Your quest is in vain anyway."

"You won't survive alone."

Inuyasha absently pushed the wandering sprites hands away again as he scowled at the women around him. "Would you stop with the depressing 'you're doomed' crap – all I want to know is where Sesshomaru is."

The sun peaked over the horizon at that point, and he felt the stir of his awakening Youkai blood within his veins. It was a light tingling sensation that seemed more refreshing than painful as his nails toughened and lengthened, his ears turned furry and pointed and slid upwards on his head. He heard with new clarity the gasp of delight from the sprites as they watched his hair spread white from the roots to the tips like he'd suddenly aged a few hundred years.

"Hanyou!" the old sprite laughed and clapped her hands together. "Do it again!"

"Now we see why you want the Inu Youkai!"

"We shall tell you in that case."

"Where?" Inuyasha felt the exhaustion creep out of his bones as he leaned forward. "Have you seen him? Which way is he heading?" he once more had to push away the hands of the sprite who was now pulling his toes apart to examine the nails.

"Hmmm…" a middle aged sprite inhaled deeply as though breathing in the information to answer his question. "The Inu Youkai… he heads towards the silver mines in the North."

"Silver mines?" Inuyasha echoed. "What's he going there for?"

"We didn't examine his soul. Couldn't. Too many layers – unlike you who's as simple minded as the day you were born." The woman replied. "We found no answers to his motives and questions."

"Fine." He pulled the reins to get the horse moving again. "You've been… helpful…"

"Visit us again when you are whole!" they chorused after him.

"Not on your life!" he yelled over his shoulder as he sped off, heading north again.

^_^

Jakotsu yawned lightly as he picked up his kimono to bunch it around his knees as he waded through the shallow water from the boat to the beach. The cold water nipped at his feet and he hurried the pace up as he clambered out of the water and up a sand dune that had piled up after the destruction of the sand bridge. At the top he dropped his kimono and looked around, scanning the area for some sign of the Hanyou King.

Obviously, it had nearly been two days since Inuyasha had left, and the Hanyou was no where to be seen… but…

Jakotsu's gaze rested on a patch of disturbed sand some distance away. No attempt had been made to hide it… and the indentation in the sand indicated that a person had been lying there only a short while ago. Even better, were the set of bare foot footprints that led away from the disturbed sand, first heading to the waters edge and then doubling back to climb the rising slope to the road above the beach.

It couldn't have been anyone else. And by the looks of things, he was unaware that he was being followed… this was just child's play…

It was a simple matter of just followed the trail up the slope to the road and taking the north way in pursuit of the runaway King. He couldn't wait, it was all he could do to contain his excitement. The Hanyou King was being handed to him on a silver platter. Beautiful King Inuyasha… with the cute ears and the hot little body. So naïve and so aggressive at the same time. He really was just a boy in many ways…

"Hey you!"

Jakotsu perked up and looked behind him to see a band of traders approaching. "Who me?"

"You're a queer looking one, ain't ya?" the lead trader squinted at him.

"Perhaps. I've been told." Jakotsu moved to rest his scabbard on his shoulder, eyeing up the band of men. "I need a horse. Mind if I take one?"

"You'll have to trade something for it." The traders came to a stop a few metres away. "How 'bout that sword?"

"What about it?" Jakotsu lowered it from his shoulder to rest the tip against the ground.

"It's pretty fancy lookin'." The trader nodded. "Show it us and we'll consider a trade."

"By all means…" Jakotsu smiled darkly as he slid Jakotsutou out of its scabbard. "I'll demonstrate for you."

^_^

Kagome hadn't come out of her room for a whole week. Yes, it was natural to grieve so deeply for the loss of a loved one, and Sango understood just as well as anyone else that Kagome had loved Inuyasha, probably more than she loved herself. But now it was getting to the point of real seriousness. She wouldn't eat, she would see anyone and she wouldn't talk through the door to anyone either.

"Kagome?" Sango rested her hands lightly against the door. Her soul ached for her friend, and even more for Inuyasha. But she had to remain strong for Kagome. "Please… Kagome open the door?"

There was no answer.

Miroku had speculated that maybe she wasn't in there. Maybe she'd locked the door against them, pasted ofuda spells over the frame to stop guards breaking it down, then jumped out the window to run away and kill herself by jumping off the same ravine.

He'd earned a heartfelt slap for that.

"Kagome… _please_!" Sango stressed her words. "You're not eating! You have to at some time or you'll just die! Do you think Inuyasha would want that to happen?"

There was still no answer. But at least she wasn't in any immediate danger. Humans could go without food for weeks some times. Water was more of a pressing problem, but fortunately she seemed to be taking the few goblets that were left outside her door, but only when no one was around.

Sango's nerves were running frayed as it was. She wanted to talk with Kagome, share her pain, and relieve some of her own. "You think you're not the only one suffering here?!" she accused bitterly through the door. "You think after knowing him my whole life – I don't grieve either?!" she thumped the door angrily with her fist. "Kagome! Open the damn door!"

Unsurprisingly, after two weeks of isolation, Kagome still didn't open the door to her friend.

Sango managed to gather herself again and pushed back the tears biting at the edge of her vision. "I'm sorry… I'll bring you you're supper in an hour… you can take it or leave it. It's up to you."

She stepped silently away from the door and stared at it a moment before turning to head back to her chores. She stopped at once when she saw Miroku standing there a few metres away, watching her sadly. He was the one person she couldn't stand to be around. Not because he angered her or irritated her… but because he could see her pain for what it was and know that she was only just managing to hold it together for herself. She couldn't break down and cry… she had to be strong…

Lady Inu was unwell still, and getting worse. Kagome was starving herself and Fushi was making it a daily habit to disappear without a trace, worrying her to no end during the daylight hours and on top of it all. Inuyasha was dead. The kingdom was King-less and everyone was in a state of terror over when the South would invade and conquer.

"Don't hold it in." Miroku told her quietly, seriously.

Sango felt her resolve crumble and her face crumpled into despair as she fell into his arms and sobbed her heart out.

^_^

Something hadn't been right about that body…

Of course it hadn't felt right. He was dead. How was that supposed to feel right?

Kagome narrowed her eyes ever so slightly as she gazed at the ceiling, eyes skimming over the faint grain patterns of the wooden beams that criss-crossed above her head.

She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the contents of that coffin. And the few times she had snatched a few hours of sleep after exhausting herself with grief, all she ever dreamed about was the horrible reality that Inuyasha was dead. Well at least it was a change from the dreams where she was the one who died by _his_ hands.

And she couldn't eat, because the sight of the body haunted her, making her want to retch. 

She wished she'd never looked at that body.

The last few days she had tried to banish the images from her mind… but for once she just let her mind dwell on it. Why fight what her brain was showing her? Again and again. It was seared into her mind's eye, and it wasn't going to leave her until she accepted it.

His face had been lacerated. Cut up beyond recognition… upon seeing that she had almost wanted to scream that it wasn't him. It couldn't have been Inuyasha. Until she saw his dead and lifeless face she would not accept he was dead! But then she'd seen his ears, drooping back against his pale, familiar hair…

Even if there had been other Hanyou's on the island, she doubted they would all have resembled Inuyasha. Those ears were Inuyasha's…

Even if one of them _had _been half chewed off by those wild animals.

If she'd been able to sense some kind of aura, she would have known if it was him or not. But she felt nothing other than the cold slumber of death… no familiar warmth of his presence, no unfamiliar presence of a stranger either. Just death.

Her eyes had blurred with tears at that point. She'd tried to examine the rest of him for proof that this was not the man she loved… but she couldn't see! And what little she could see was just too horrific for words…

Why had she asked to see this body?

Inuyasha was gone. That body wasn't him… it was just his empty shell. Flesh and bones. Wherever Inuyasha was… he hadn't been there with her. Maybe now his soul was floating off to nirvana or something stupid like that…

She'd never believed in the afterlife. That had been until Naraku came along of course…

She hoped Inuyasha would have been a good enough person to get into a happy place. Maybe he'd be reincarnated… as a dog maybe? Maybe he'd be reborn as Sango's next child?

No… that had a slightly disturbing sense to it…

Perhaps he was looking down on her right that minute and snorting at her grief. He'd probably tell her to slap it together and get on with life… she was boring to watch when she was just sitting on her bed crying all day. She knew how uncomfortable that made him. He'd tell her to do something interesting… like gardening. 

He'd tell her to marry some nice bloke who would take care of her…

Actually… no he wouldn't. Whenever she'd been courted over the last three years, from stable boys to noble friends of his – he'd always clamp down on any developing interests, saying she could do so much better than that kind of trash.

Somehow, she felt that the only person he thought fit to be with her… was himself.

But he didn't give her himself.

He was dead now. Had he ever loved her? Was he crying in his grave, cursing his stupidity for not bearing his glorious feelings to her sooner? Or was he still indifferent?

Kagome closed her eyes briefly and threw an arm over her eyes. As soon as she realised what she'd done she dropped her arm. Inuyasha usually made that same gesture when he was tired or stressed out. They'd shared time together… and although he didn't always seem to make the effort to make time for her, she saw him at least once a day. But that had never be enough for Kagome. But he just didn't seem to _care…_

She made hints, made occasional discreet moves on him – moves that were innocent enough so she couldn't be accused of trying to hook him. But maybe they were too discreet and innocent, as he never seemed to pick up on it. She helped him with the work-load sometimes. She visited the villages he didn't have time to expect. Of course, for the last few weeks she'd been accompanied by Bankotsu. She hadn't gone out this week…

The people were interesting, and so different from her own culture, but the same in all kinds of ways. They'd gotten used to having humans in the royal circles, since they'd been living with Lady Inu for many years now. Her enthusiasm to learn more about the Inu people was what made her such an adorable person to them. They were only too happy to share knowledge about bloodlines, agriculture, the makings of the kingdom they now lived in.

The people adored her. And she'd fallen in love with the island in return… she could never leave. It was out of the question.

But Inuyasha was dead. And life had diminished completely. People mourned everywhere. The funeral had come and gone. The body had been burned and a new King was to be elected soon. Bankotsu was probably the best candidate… but everyone was still reluctant… he was so new…

They had to wait for direct orders from Lady Inu. As it was, the kingdom was on her shoulders that moment in time. Of course, it was only temporary – but she was the one who would choose the next in line for the throne – be it the stable boy again or the noble friend. Or Bankotsu.

But Lady Inu was ill. She couldn't recognise the faces beside her bed. She mumbled when she was awake and she screamed with nightmares when she slept. She didn't even know Inuyasha was dead…

It would break her when she came out of her fever. Her husband and son taken from her in the space of three years. It would kill her…

But she was the only one who could select a new King.

She should pick Bankotsu, Kagome thought. He seemed good and honest. He made wise decisions and had strength that was questionably equal to Inuyasha's. He'd make a good King… though he may not last long considering he was human after all. It was a human mind that had allowed Inuyasha to go insane anyway.

He'd gone insane. Now he was dead…

A small sound from the adjoining room made her sit up boltright and she looked across the chamber, trying to find the source of the noise. "Who's there?"

A moment's silence.

"Why won't you come out?"

"Fushi?" Kagome's brow creased in concern. "Where are you?"

He edged into the doorway or the adjoining room. "Mama's crying for you."

Kagome stared at him a moment before shaking her head. "How did you get in here?"

"You didn't lock the small window… I fit through." He was looking at her like she was a stranger. Perhaps she was. She didn't feel like the same person who had fled into this room. 

"I just… just wanted to be alone for a while, Fushi." She told him, honestly.

"A week alone?" he frowned. "Aren't you bored?"

She gave him a very weak smile. "My mind keeps me busy."

Fushi frowned at that.

She opened her arms and beckoned him forward. He approached but he didn't come into her embrace. He thought he was past the age of needing hugs. She dropped her arms with argument.

He looked down and frowned as he wiggled his bare toes against the boarded floor. "Everyone's saying Uncle Inu's dead…" he continued to watch his big toe. "I haven't seen him in the palace for ages. There was that funeral thing… Mama said I couldn't go. I went out anyway and watched from the sakura trees. Uncle Inu was on the bonfire wasn't he…?" 

Kagome nodded silently, praying Inuyasha would forgive her for not being present to honouring his body passing from this world.

"I'm confused." He said, a little sullenly. "He's dead… but… when will he be back?"

Kagome swallowed hard. This was something Sango should have to teach him… it wasn't her place. She'd learnt about death younger than Fushi… she's known that sometimes bad things happened, and people just stopped doing what they usually did. They just stopped. It had scared her for a while, but she had accepted it by the age of four. But Fushi hadn't ever had to deal with the concept of death. He lived in a wealthy palace where no one had died for the last four years… well… for the last seven days at least.

"Where do you go when you die?" Fushi pressed hesitantly. "You come back, don't you? Eventually?"

Kagome shook her head. "Fushi… sometimes people get sick… or get old… and their life leaves them. Their souls leave their broken bodies to be reborn in better bodies… or to explore without the restraints of a physical body…"

"But when will he come back from exploring?" Fushi asked, a little more demanding this time. He was scared.

"Dead people don't come back to their broken bodies…" Kagome told him quietly. "Inuyasha's gone… he's not coming back to us. He may be watching us… maybe he'll visit us later on in life in some other form… but he won't come back."

"But…" Fushi was breathing hard, obviously trying hard not to cry. "But he was here last week! He can't just leave and not say goodbye! That's mean! Won't he miss us?!"

Kagome nodded, finding it hard not to cry as well. "Very much. And we'll remember him forever. I'm sure he'd go on remembering us too. He loved you very much you know… he never wanted children… but I'm certain he was glad to have you as a substitute."

Fushi's brimming eyes locked with hers, and without a moment's hesitation, he threw himself into her arms, sobs wracking his entire body. She held him close, willing away her own responding sobs as hot tears slid down her cheeks to fall on his hair. Sango was going to kill her.

"H-he left! W-without s-saying good b-bye he went!" Fushi stammered against her kimono. "I-if he loved m-me h-he wouldn't do that!" his words so broken with sobs it was hard to tell what he was saying.

"It was too quick. He didn't have the chance." She whispered. If she'd spoke above that her voice would have broken with emotion as well. "He loved you like a real nephew… he used to baby-sit you when you were small… carry you to bed when she first could walk and ran out of your rooms to fall asleep on the stairs… he was your guardian… he will always look out for you. Remember that. Don't think badly of him for leaving so soon."

__

And I'll try hard not to either…

Where was he now she wondered… if an afterlife truly existed…?

^_^

"Useless… fucking… sprites…" Inuyasha grumbled as he snapped a twig in half again and again until he was left with little pieces. He threw them angrily at the road ahead, punctuation each hissed word. "Couldn't… possibly… be… the gambling hall! _Has _to be the secret silver mines!"

He hadn't even known there was a silver mine up north, let alone where it was exactly. It was in Iwami… and that country was just a little too far north for his taste. He needed to get this mission done with and back in time to save Kagome before anyone decided to cremate her body and ruin his chances of reviving her.

Where the hell was he anyway?

His narrowed gaze fell on a completely desecrated sign post up ahead. It lay flat on the road and was now tangled in ferns and ivy. He urged the mare forward and stopped beside it to unsheathe Tessaiga and push the green plants aside so he could read the sign.

"Welcome to Kozushima-mura…" he stared with a frown. "Where the hell is Kozushima when it's at home?"

AN: A plot twist is coming rather soon that may have me pulling out my flame proof mac again. Just bear with it and don't shout at me when you're done reading! (I bet that's got all your frustration out now – I'm not telling you what it is though ^_^ you won't have to wait long, I swear!)

Next Chapter – 'The New Ruler'


	10. The New Ruler

AN: Well. Sorry about the delay, but for those of you who didn't know, I made a bet on Saturday night that I could go without the Internet for a whole week. I buckled today – Wednesday – and I just had to update a story. But shhhh! My cousin doesn't know I'm online so hopefully I can make it another three days without the Internet and win that twenty five quid from her! She'll never know ^_^

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 10

The New Ruler

She was so lost in fever that she barely knew where she was anymore. It would be lucky if she knew her own name. And so getting her to pronounce him King would be child's play.

"Your Highness?" he called gently as he entered Lady Inu's chamber, followed by the three royal attendants to witness the declaration. "Lady Inu, can you hear me?"

Through the dim gloom of the chamber, the human woman stirred and muttered something incoherent. Bankotsu moved closer to the edge of the bed, contriving a look of worry and sympathy on his face. "Lady Inu, I'm sorry to disturb you, but as we've said Lord Inuyasha is gone… we need to select a new King."

"King…" Lady Inu tossed her head slightly, pushing at her heavy covers.

"Yes. You are regent again. It is up to you to select the new King." Bankotsu pressed. "Your son has died, the throne has reverted back to you. Choose the next leader, your highness."

"Inuyasha's gone…?" Lady Inu frowned, blearily trying to focus on the man beside her bed. "Where's he gone?"

"Land of the dead, your highness." He responded calmly. "Please, it's important. We need a new leader – tell us who it is?"

They waited a few moments for her to process these words. "You…" she eventually said. He had to keep from grinning in triumph… until she said… "You don't understand… I'm not regent… it doesn't work that way here…"

"What?" Bankotsu demanded, somewhat sharply.

"Miss Kagome… she's Inuyasha's intended… when he goes… she takes over until he returns… or until she… she produces an heir that comes of age… she's regent… not me…"

There was a long pause, during which Lady Inu drifted off back into her fitful sleep and the advisors glanced at each other with firm nods. "That settles it then." One of them said.

"Lady Kagome is queen." The second nodded.

The royal advisors left, leaving Bankotsu alone with the queen. He glared at her sleeping form before snapping a seething look on the trinket beside her bed. She hadn't drunken it… she wasn't nearly as drugged as she should have been.

"Stupid bitch." He snatched the glass and threw the contents into the base of a flower pot as he passed on his way out of the chamber. He headed straight out of the royal chamber corridor, down the stairs, bound for the basements near the dungeons and pantries.

He stopped outside one rather unimpressive door, and pushed it open without bothering to knock. "Increase the dosage in her medicine." Bankotsu barked at the monk sitting cross-legged before a low table. "I want her dead and buried by the end of the week. And make sure she drinks the poison this time!"

Renkotsu flicked him a blank look. "I hope you realise that I can't exactly go out and force feed it to the woman. I'm not supposed to exist, remember?"

"Whatever. Just keep slipping it into her water and she'll die soon enough." Bankotsu growled as he began pacing the room. "Any news from Suikotsu's end."

"None."

"What about Jakotsu?"

"He has yet to return with Tessaiga."

Bankotsu gave an angry sigh. "He better kill Inuyasha soon. I don't want that guy returning and ruining everything!"

"Even if he did return, he wouldn't ruin much." Renkotsu pointed to the small headless wooden statue that sat on the table before him. "The talisman will take away his sanity the minute he steps within six hundred yards of this palace. He'll be as crazy as ever."

"Is he crazy now?" Bankotsu wanted to know.

"I doubt it. If he's off this island then he's out of the six hundred yard range, isn't he?" Renkotsu responded with only the slight hint of patronising.

"Well let's hope he doesn't figure things out. We have a problem."

"Oh?"

"Kagome is the Queen. Not me."

Renkotsu smiled mildly. "I see. That is a bit of a problem isn't it."

"Mm."

"Why don't you kill her?" the monk suggested.

"And make everyone suspicious. Inuyasha dies, shortly followed by his mother, shortly followed by the next queen – Kagome – all to make room for me to fit on the throne. They'll know if I kill off the entire royal family." Bankotsu stopped his pacing to sit across the table from Renkotsu. "But I do have a plan that means we can get what we want without having to kill the girl."

"Really?" Renkotsu asked flatly.

"The only way a new ruler will come into power whilst she still lives, is if she marries. Her husband will be the new King or if she has a son of her own that brat will be heir to the throne when it comes of age."

"Seeing as I don't think you plan to become her long lost son, as you are much older than she is – I suppose you're thinking of marrying her." Renkotsu looked slightly ill.

"Either that or kill her. And marrying will be less suspicious." Bankotsu smirked. "The people love her, they'd hate it if she died."

"Jakotsu would hate it if you married the girl." Renkotsu pointed out.

The leader shrugged and smirked. "He can throw his tantrums and fits in private. I have revenge to exact, and Kagome is part of it."

"As you wish."

^_^

"Ok… the sun rises in the east and sets in the west… so…" Inuyasha looked around the sky and spotted the sun dead overhead. "It's midday… which means…" he pointed in a random direction. "It'll set over there – which is west – and so over there…" he looked to his right. "Is where the silver mines are!"

He stood in the middle of the road, wondering if he should just take another wild guess to the direction of north… before sighing and giving up. "Just keep going." He urged the horse to start walking again, heading towards god only knew where. Perhaps he was heading north anyway… perhaps he wasn't… he's just keep going and find out.

The most interesting thing he's come across so far was an old desecrated castle that sat on a mountainside somewhere at the edge of Kozushima. Nothing much happening there apart from a few fallen trees, some old graffiti in the dirt and lots of empty disturbed graves. Like he said. Not much happened there anymore.

Though at some point he thought he'd seen the character 'Inu' scratched into the dirt, near the graves… he'd quickly left at that point in case his mind was beginning to betray him again.

He'd find his brother eventually, but by now he had severely lost the scent trail and had no idea where he was going. But determination for Kagome's sake spurred him on, and so he kept going, even though hope of finding the fleeing Inu Youkai was fading… he had to keep going.

"Stupid Sesshomaru… stupid… smelly… smug… sarcastic… silly… sappy… soppy… snotty… cynical… does cynical begin with an S?" he asked the horse who didn't answer. "Anyway… why can't the stupid, sleazy snotbag go somewhere obvious? Why can't he just stay in one place? Why can't he just be a none-coward for once and stay and fight!"

Why did life have to be so hard?

__

"H-Help me!"

Inuyasha drew to a halt and listened again… he was sure he'd heard a cry for help just then.

"Somebody! Anybody! Help! Me!"

Inuyasha sighed and with a resigned sigh he slipped off the horse unsheathed Tessaiga. He rested the sword against his shoulder in its raw form, before setting off into the trees without much hindrance. He didn't normally do the hero thing. He had once, and that had landed him with Kagome. What was it going to land him with this time?

By the sounds of things, an annoyingly high voiced Kitsune kid.

^_^

Behind the palace was a secret garden of sorts. Well, less secret and more secluded. Everyone knew about it, but hardly anyone went there… unless they specifically wanted to pay respects to past kings.

The garden was more of a circular clearing amidst the trees, hidden from view of the palace, and hidden from view of anything else as well. It was a nice place to go when you wanted some peace or quiet. Wild flowers grew around the edge of the clearing and in the clearing itself were currently six statues, each with its own urn of ashes at the base, accompanied by an engraved name plate behind it.

The first statue was of the first Inu King to rule the island. The second statue was of the first King's son. And the third statue was of the grandson of that first King. The fourth statue was the grandson's son… also known as Inuyasha's grandfather. The statue after that was of Lord Inu himself. And the one after that…

Kagome made her way slowly towards the last statue and gently laid her carefully gathered bunch of flowers against the urn of ashes. Somehow… even though she knew it was just a slab of rock that stood before her… it was like she was really kneeling before Inuyasha. She couldn't find the courage to raise her eyes to meet his face.

"I had a dream last night…" she told his knees instead. "It was nice for once… but I think it was more like a nightmare than anything else." She lapsed into silence for a moment, thinking over the dream slowly. "We were all happy. Me and you were married. We didn't have kids… you didn't want them still. But we were happy because we were together."

She fiddled with the folds of her yukata and gazed stonily at the urn before her. "But you wouldn't have been happy if we were together. Deep down you probably still loathe me."

She rose to her feet and had to crane her neck to see his face. Not only was the statue standing on a… stand, but it was also slightly larger than the real King. "Well since you're dead and you can't protest or complain I'll tell you again… because maybe you forgot how I felt during the past three years… I love you… and even though you never said or did anything that made me think you felt the same… I loved you more for each day that passed." She sighed and braced her hands against his shoulders, leaning against the stone chest. Inuyasha was firm… but not this firm… and not so cold either. "Did you ever notice…? Or did you just ignore it? Were you excessively shy? Or were you politely refusing me?"

She sighed and for a moment wished his arms would close around her in an embrace… but it was just a statue. The only thing of Inuyasha that remained… was the dusty ashes in the urn at her feet. She knelt down again and pulled the lid off to look at the ashes inside. They didn't look very Inuyasha like… just like ordinary ashes…

And in this short line of statues, he looked like just one small man that would be lost in history. There would be another statue after him when a new ruler was selected… probably Bankotsu. He's be just another dead ruler. Ruled for a minor three years… the world wouldn't stop to grieve him, would it? They were all too busy searching for the new King.

Well her world would stop for him…

It would probably never start again…

A burst of light shattered in her eyes and she straightened quickly, taken by surprise. But soon her vision cleared and she could finally see again… in black and white of course. She frowned lightly as she looked at her grey hands…

It was just another vision. She was looking into the past again…

"_I don't want children._"

Kagome spun in surprise upon hearing the distorted, almost inaudible voice behind her. Her gaze fell on the two figures standing beside the fourth statue in the row of kings. The last two statues had disappeared from view… obviously they hadn't been built yet in whatever time she was looking into.

It was lord Inu. She'd seen him in visions enough times to recognise him… and beside him was Inuyasha… twelve years old maybe… or older – apparently he'd been short for his age for quite some time until he'd had a growth spurt. She smiled and haplessly moved forward to see them better… Inuyasha alive and well wasn't something she was going to see a lot of in the future.

"_Of course you don't_." was Lord Inu's scratchy reply, she couldn't hear them very well, but it was a wonder she was hearing anything at all. Usually these visions were silent.

"_You killed him didn't you."_ Inuyasha was leaning against the statue of his grandfather with a scowl on his face, arms folded in his classic pose. His father gave him a sharp look for what he'd said, but Inuyasha only turned his glare to the statue of his great grandfather opposite him.

"_I had to, Inuyasha. You'll understand when you're older…"_

Kagome smiled faintly when she saw the boy roll his eyes and mime his father's words as they were spoken.

"_It was a mercy killing._" Lord Inu went on. "_He wanted me to kill him."_

"_Just so you could take the throne."_

"_There was no other way. He was weak_."

"_Why don't we just assign kings the human way? Instead of the barbaric way?"_ Inuyasha pushed away from the statue, with a serious look on his face.

His father only smiled, in that grown-ups-know-better way_. "You're only saying that because you're a Hanyou_."

__

"SO?!"

Obviously that was a tender nerve at age twelve. Kagome watched as the boy stomped his foot and circled around the back of his father who was laying flowers down to his own father's grave the same way she'd lain flowers down to Inuyasha's. When Inuyasha spoke, it took both Lord Inu and Kagome by surprise.

"_Does this mean I have to kill you too?"_

Lord Inu looked around at him warily, almost as if he was expecting his son to strike a death blow there and then. "_Not necessarily_."

"_It might be easy. If you got on my nerves. If you stuck around too long and I wanted the throne for myself. If you were weak and I was strong and I was a better candidate for King. I'd kill you without hesitation_."

Kids could be so cruel.

"_But that's only if you wanted the throne_." Lord Inu pointed out_. "Do you want the throne?"_

"_No… but I might one day._" Inuyasha replied sullenly, unfolding his arms by his sides. "_And if I do become King one day then I wouldn't be stupid and have kids like you did. I wouldn't have someone like Sesshomaru – who wants to kill me for my title."_

"_What if you had a child that turned out like you? The perfect son?"_ The old King commented with dry sarcasm.

"_I'm not gonna take that chance_."

"_And what if you have a girl? All this talk about sons – you'll curse yourself into having daughters for eternity._" Lord Inu smirked.

__

"I won't have kids, full stop!" Inuyasha snapped. "_I won't marry! I won't fall in love with any stupid girls! Girls suck! Why would I wanna fall in love?! And become a sop like you?!_"

"_You wound me."_ Lord Inu straightened and glared at him. "_And what did I say about language? Stop slurring words together – you sound like you're drunk – or worse – a peasant!_"

"_Better n' sounding constipated…" _Inuyasha retorted snidely. His father cuffed him round the ear and started off, leaving Inuyasha growling and rubbing his ear.

"_Don't be so pessimistic, Inuyasha. Hey, maybe you'll get lucky and I'll die before you have to kill me_." His father laughed as he walked away. Kagome was the only one who saw the look on Inuyasha's face when he said that… fear and dismay…

Then the vision ended and colour was back in her vision. The last two statues of the deceased Lord Inu and Inuyasha popped back into view… and once more the grass was green, instead of pasty grey. The young Inuyasha disappeared from view and she turned back to look at the twenty year old version immortalised in stone. She shook her head sadly.

"I wish you were-"

"Talking to statues again?" Bankotsu's voice sounded behind her and she clicked her mouth shut, embarrassed to have been caught in a private moment. She turned as casually as she could and shot him a fake smile. "Hello, Lord Bankotsu… are you here to pay your respects?"

"Yes." He nodded calmly and walked forward with his hands clasped behind his back to stand beside her. "Even though his rule was short… he was a good King…"

Kagome hummed in agreement, still feeling as though her privacy had been violated.

"I…er… saw you just now…" he sent her a quizzical look that made her freeze. "You seemed to be watching something… is it possible you see things I cannot?"

"Uh…" Kagome didn't want to go into any detailed discussions right then, but she tried to satisfy him anyway. "Visions. I get these visions… of the past… not often, but they're miko powers I seemed to have inherited off Kikyo."

"Oh." Bankotsu looked mildly surprised. "You can see the past."

"I was just watching someone pay their respects to Lord Inubiru." She pointed to the fourth statue – Inuyasha's grandfather.

"Amazing. Do you do it by will?" he asked.

"Um… not usually." She said quietly, wringing her hands together and chewing her lip. She was nervous. But she didn't know why.

Bankotsu sighed deeply with a warm sort of smile for her. "I'm glad you're finally out of your room. Everyone was very worried for you. You look thin… are you eating enough?"

"It's just the grief…" she waved off his concern with a shake of her head. "I'll recover… hopefully…"

"You loved him didn't you?" he said seriously.

Kagome hesitated a moment before slowly nodding once. "I do…"

"You still do?" he sounded surprised.

"Just because he is no longer on this earth, it doesn't erase my feelings for him." She told him. "I love him… I always will…"

Bankotsu seemed to contemplate what she said before sighing again and looking down. "I don't suppose… you'd be willing to hear the confession of a poor fool then…?"

"Sorry?" Kagome looked at him in confusion.

"Kagome… I know this may just sound like a man trying to pick up the pieces of what another man has left behind… or that I'm trying to move in on Inuyasha's territory now that he's gone but…"

"But?" Kagome edged back slightly… she wasn't sure she wanted him to go on though.

"But… from the first moment I saw you I knew you were something special. Not just because of your beauty or you're talent with nature and making things grow the way they do… I knew the moment I saw you that you had to be somewhat tougher than the average girl, to have remained here along such tough Youkai for three years… and when I first spoke to you I saw the fire in your eyes and I knew your inner beauty far surpassed your outer beauty."

Before she could protest he'd taken her hands in his and looked her in the eye, as though he was really baring his soul. Kagome was too speechless to do anything. No man had ever said these kinds of things… well… not recently. Inuyasha always arrived to thrash the man by the time he got as far as 'from the first moment I saw you-'.

"You're kind, you're gentle, you're intelligent and witty. You smile despite the pain you're evidently suffering. You're so strong, yet so soft." He squeezed her hands. "And I feel that I, like many before me, have just fallen head over heels in love with you."

"What?" Kagome stared at him, blinking as she struggled to process his speech. "Are you sure? I mean – you might just have a temporary crush!"

"But I have been here for a month… and I have only grown more and more in love with you between every moment that has passed. I thought I loved you when I saw you… but that's a joke compared to how I feel about you now."

"Bankotsu…" how to turn him down politely? Where was Inuyasha when he needed to thrash a suitor for her? Oh yeah… at their feet in that urn.

"I understand that you love Inuyasha… and that you still grieve and can't possibly love another… but I thought you just ought to know that I love you more than my sword."

"Wow… you love me a lot then…"

"Indeed. And even though I know I cannot have you… can you at least give me one thing to worship you further by?" He asked, stepping closer and bringing their joined hands up between them.

"And what would that be?" she asked, very, very nervous by now.

He didn't answer. Well not by using words at least. He leant down before she had a chance to protest and pressed his lips against hers. She gasped in surprise, and he took the opportunity to change the kiss into a not so innocent form of kissing. She was too surprised and unfamiliar with the feeling of his tongue invade her mouth, and she didn't have the heart to bite down on it. It took her a moment to settle down into the kiss… and it still felt unnatural to her…

It had been so long since her last kiss…

Her eyes drifted shut and she rather heartlessly imagined that maybe it was Inuyasha kissing her. Bankotsu kissed differently than Inuyasha… but then again, she didn't quite remember how Inuyasha's kisses went. Not like this… that was for sure.

She let him dominate it though, and only followed his lead and kissed him back adequately… but not exactly passionately. She just moved her mouth against his when it seemed appropriate and let her instincts guide her… though there was no spark, no real enjoyment. She could easily pass the opportunity by again. Only kisses with Inuyasha had blinded her senses and made her heart pound in her chest and her ears…

She couldn't stop thinking about Inuyasha.

After a while he pulled back and smiled sadly, as though he was accepting defeat. "Thank you." He kissed her briefly, one last time on the lips before turning and heading quickly out of the clearing.

Kagome subtly wiped her mouth on her sleeve and turned a guilty look on the statue beside her. "Don't look at me that way… I didn't enjoy it…" she hugged herself tightly. "I was just humouring him, that's all."

AN: I don't think Inuyasha will be _incredibly _pleased when he returns… Next chapter – 'An Auspicious Offer'


	11. An Auspicious Offer

AN: Oh dear… if you didn't like the end of the last chapter… don't look at the title for the next chapter (at this point you're supposed to zip down to the bottom and find out).

Anyway, the stupid bet is over and even though technically I didn't hold out for seven days – no one found out so I'm now twenty-five pounds up ^_^. Very happy girl now!

And for those who are wondering what auspicious means – look it up in a dictionary – that's what I did (come on, I'm not _that _literate).

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 11

An Auspicious Offer

Kagome gazed at her reflection in the mirror softly as she combed her hair slowly from root to tip in long smooth strokes. Her actions became mechanically… her mind had wandered off long ago.

She still didn't really begin to accept Inuyasha's death. Some small part of her was willing to bet that it was all some bad mistake. That Inuyasha wasn't the one who was in that urn beside the statue. That one day soon he would return – perfectly sane and normal and pleased to see her. She could imagine his excuse.

"Sorry about that – went out of my head and wandered off the island! But now I'm back, no need to worry!"

Then he'd go on to profess how lost he was without her – saying how he only just realised how much he loved and needed her when they were kept apart. And she'd fall into his embrace and they'd kiss and then they'd never be apart again.

In Kagome's fantasy, they would marry, have children – and their son would marry Reiko and their daughter would marry Fushi. And Inuyasha would kiss her every day and tell her how wonderful and beautiful she was and that he loved her more and more every day. And he'd keep saying it even when they were old and grey, when any son they had was the new King and Reiko was the new queen. And she would die a happy, happy woman, knowing that she was loved by the most perfect man in the world.

Kagome's hand had stopped working the comb and lay gently in her lap.

The other half of her was silently screaming. This was the larger half that was intent on crushing the small hopeful side of her consciousness. Inuyasha was dead. No mistakes. Mistakes were just to good to be true. Life wasn't fair, it was as simple as that. She'd had it good so far. Living in a palace, with great friends and not having to worry about money or where her next meal was coming from. It was just asking too much from the world to have the perfect man stay beside her for the rest of her unnaturally long life. Worse of all, she didn't even know if he loved her back. Did he care? Did he ever _think _about her that way?

No chance to ask him now. Dead men don't talk…

__

Unless you're a necromancer… Kagome thought dryly. _Or a Kikyo… apparently…_

She was disrupted from her thoughts by a knock at the door. "Come in." she called, setting her comb down and turning to face whoever would enter.

It was Sango, and the three royal advisors. She frowned in confusion. The advisors looked formal and slightly pleased, but Sango looked pale and uncomfortable. "We found a new ruler." She told Kagome, cutting straight to the point.

"Who is it?" Kagome looked between them. "Is it Bankotsu?"

Sango gave a small, weak smile. "It's you."

^_^

It wasn't very hard to locate the source of the trouble, the screams of 'help me' and variations thereof were frequent and loud. Inuyasha pushed his way through the dense foliage, making his way steadily and surely. He finally emerged from the thickets and into a small sort of clearing where ivy and ferns covered the floor in a thick layer. His gaze fell instantly on the auburn haired boy who sat amidst the ferns, struggling helplessly against something hidden in the ferns.

"And what the hell are you supposed to be?" Inuyasha announced behind the kid, making him start with alarm and fall onto his face as he tried to whirl around. Something below the ferns was holding him immobile.

"I'm a Kitsune!" The kid retorted angrily, shuffling around the glare at him. "And who do you think you are, sneaking up on me like that?! A predator?! Were you _trying _to give me a heart attack?!"

"You're a Kitsune?" Inuyasha taunted. "I thought you were a chipmunk."

"Well are you going to help me out or just dig at me all day?!" the young Kitsune snapped.

"I was actually hoping there was some kind of bad ass Youkai, so I could kick his butt." Inuyasha grudgingly withdrew Tessaiga back into its scabbard. "You were screaming so loud I figured you were being chased."

"Poachers – they've been laying their stupid doe traps out again."

"It's Summer. It's game season. Why weren't you on the look out for traps?" Inuyasha said, eyeing the wooden snap-trap around the kid's ankle. "No one goes for walks around the forest at this time of year – especially when you're that small."

The Kitsune clasped his hands in his hair, an obvious sign he was losing his small amount of patience. "Look – get me out or the poachers will come and skin me for my hide."

"They would be damned desperate poachers for a pelt as wiry as that." Inuyasha snorted.

"Get me out of here!"

"Jeez, with an attitude like that, I might just be tempted to let you rot." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, even as he moved forward and grouched down to push the ferns aside. A fairly strong spring kept the two wooden bars of the trap pinned tightly together against the kit's leg, whilst a chain attached to the trap and hammered with a pin into the ground made sure that escape was impossible. He reached down and swiftly cracked the two bars apart, allowing the kid to pull his leg free hastily.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you about traps, Kitsune?"

The kid didn't answer, he was watching Inuyasha suspiciously. "You look familiar somehow…"

"I have that kind of face." He didn't, but that was beside the point.

"No…" the Kitsune rubbed his sore leg as Inuyasha tactlessly smashed the trap completely with his fist. "Have we met before?"

"No." Inuyasha gave him a blunt 'just drop it' kind of look and stood straight again to head off.

"No – we _have _met before – it's on the tip of my brain!" Shippo lopped after him with an intent look. Inuyasha sped up a bit. "What are you called? I didn't catch your name."

"Maybe because I didn't throw it." 

"Dog demon… dog demon… Inu… Inu…" Shippo babbled as he followed the taller creature. "Inu! Lord Inu!" he stopped dead and gaped at Inuyasha. "You came back! Or are you still looking for Inaki – cause four years is a heck of a long time to be lost, ya know!"

"I'm not lost and I'm not-"

"What the hell happened to your attitude?!" Shippo scrambled to draw up alongside him. "Last time we met you were all polite and smiley – I bet you're pissed that you're still lost, right?!"

"I'm not lost, I'm not pissed and I'm not Lord Inu!" Inuyasha snapped deliberately letting a branch snap back into the Kitsune who promptly fell backwards. "You have me mistaken for someone else."

Shippo sat up, rubbing his head and glared at the Hanyou. "Well you could've fooled me…" Actually, come to think of it, Lord Inu's look-alike didn't nearly have the same kind of power as a full Youkai…

Inuyasha looked behind him as he exited the trees and noted with relief that the Kitsune wasn't following him anymore. He turned back to face his horse and stopped dead as he locked glares with the kid now sitting between the horses ears.

"I get it now. You're only demi-demon." The kid smirked, flicking a finger towards Inuyasha's ears. "You ain't Lord Inu – you're one of his sons. And since you kinda have that evil look about you – you're that Sesshomaru one ain't ya?"

"If you don't know who the real Sesshomaru is, then you're no use to me." Inuyasha swung into the saddle and batted at the Kitsune. "So beat it!"

The kid ducked the blow and narrowed his eyes. "Not Sesshomaru? Well, then you must be the heartbroken one with a human half. Is that why you're so grouchy?"

"I'm always grouchy!" Inuyasha swiped at him again, but Shippo was too nimble.

"Somehow that wouldn't surprise me." Shippo quipped. "But you need help? I'll help."

"You can't even help yourself – so how can you help me?" Inuyasha barked, urging the horse to trot on, hoping that the movement would dislodge the parasite on the horse's head… but he only clung to the ears like handle-bars. 

"You caught me at a bad moment!" Shippo shot back. "And since you're such an ass, I have my doubts about bothering to help you. Didn't your father ever tell you about me?"

Inuyasha gave him a dark look. "My father came here looking for Inaki. He never returned."

"You mean you're here because he's still lost?" Shippo stared at him. "Jeez…"

"Let me rephrase it." Inuyasha ground out. "He never returned, alive. He returned _dead_."

"Oh…" Shippo continued to stare. "So now you're seeking vengeance."

"Been there, done that, killed the dark miko to prove it." Inuyasha said shortly.

"So what are you doing here?" Shippo cocked his head to the side. "Are you still looking for the gem your father was looking for? It was from your dead lover, right?"

"Hang on – how well did you know my dad?" Inuyasha demanded sharply.

"Not long. He asked for directions, shared a few stories and then he was off again looking for Inaki."

"Nice to know everyone he asked for directions now knows my life story."

"Yeah, we all know you have no life!" He received a sound boxed ear for that. "Urgh… well… anyway, since I owe him one for old times sakes… I'll help you."

"I don't need help."

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for a deserting, stupid, sinister asshole…"

"Your brother?"

"…yes."

"I can help you."

"I know – you keep saying that and-"

"You keep saying you don't need help, but any stupid fool can see your lost." He ducked another blow. "And since I know the woods like the back of my hand I can guide you." He looked at his hand to demonstrate before starting. "What the heck is that?!"

Inuyasha rolled at the kid who began picking at a mark on his finger. "You're a hindrance, kid. Someone's life depends on me finding Sesshomaru – I can't have you interfering!"

"Helping! Hell – Ping!" Shippo enunciated. "Jeez, if it's a matter of life and death then you need all the help you can get!"

Inuyasha couldn't really find an argument to that. "Fine…" he ground out bitterly. "Where are the silver mines?"

Shippo hissed through his teeth. "Well… it's a complicated journey that will involve many forks in the road, demons and lots of stops at inns where they give out free food to hopeless cases like you. Maybe I should accompany you?"

Inuyasha glared at him. But still found no argument to throw at him. Pride and dignity were once nothing compared to Kagome's situation. He'd rather keep Kagome than his dignity any day.

^_^

Another week later and Kagome was beginning to understand what had driven Inuyasha insane. Maybe with her weak human constitution, she'd go just as nutty in a shorter time.

"I swear to god… if you show me another accounting form I was crack your head in half and plant daisies in the mud that occupies the space where your brain should be!" Kagome all but screamed at the advisor standing before her throne.

The man blinked at her in surprise, but didn't seem all that offended.

Kagome realised what her rattled nerves had made her do and quickly apologised. She was such a hypocrite… and after all her nagging when Inuyasha had given his advisors a hard time… now here she was doing the same thing. Well… nice to know some part of Inuyasha would live on in her. 

But it was beginning to strain on her mind. She needed sleep, but she didn't get any. She needed to eat, but she couldn't find the time anymore. She wanted to see her friends more often, but the advisors wouldn't let her. She was isolated from everyone and everything she enjoyed. The only familiar face she saw now and then was Bankotsu… and she was slightly nervous around him ever since he'd had the nerve to kiss her. Every time she was in the same room as him she caught him looking at her in a strange, gentle and loving way. The way Kouga looked at her (minus the hungry lusty part) and the way she wanted Inuyasha to look at her. Naturally, she was nervous.

She hated being regent Queen. And she couldn't get rid of her throne unless someone killed her, married her, or she gave birth to a son. And even then she would have to wait fourteen years for that son to grow up and come of age to take the throne. She didn't plan sticking around that long as queen anyway. She didn't plan to get killed just yet either. The only option left was to marry someone.

When she'd realised this, she had immediately thought of Inuyasha and felt a warm feeling… if he came back now he would _have _to marry her to regain title of King. Forcing him to say 'I do' brought a warm fuzzy feeling in her heart… that was quickly doused with a bucket of icy water. _He's dead, moron_, she berated herself again and again. And besides, even if he came back – who was to say he wanted the title of King enough to want to marry her. It drove him crazy before, it might do so again.

Kagome dropped her head into her folded hands as the advisors continued to talk around her about politics, who she should talk to and when to see the people. When to get taxes collected and how much she should demand in payment. Maybe she'd kill herself and leave everyone to rot…

But the way she saw it… it was going to be an awful long time to get herself out of this situation. Maybe Inuyasha could save her…

Yeah. He'd come flying through the door that very moment, strike a valiant pose and declare that she wed him within the next five minutes… or he would kill her in a very creepy, dream-like fashion.

The sliding doors opened that very moment and Kagome snapped her head up to look towards the door with hope shining in her eyes. She was left disappointed… it wasn't Inuyasha… it wasn't even Sango or Miroku. Just Bankotsu.

"Your highness," he started off, but she'd never get used to such a title. "Lady Inu's condition is worsening. Her health is deteriorating little by little…"

"Can't the healers do anything…?" Kagome asked desperately. Not Lady Inu too. Soon there would be no one in the Inu family left… apart from Sesshomaru – and he was a big question mark at that moment in time.

"They've tried… but nothing seems to help." Bankotsu shook his head and turned those gentle eyes on her again. She quickly had to look away, down at her quietly trembling hands before her.

"Tell them to keep trying." She told him. "And if it's not any trouble, could you ask Sango to walk with me this afternoon?"

"I'm sorry, my lady, she's not available today. She's gone out to one of the local villages to market. She won't be back till evening."

Kagome thought about asking for an evening walk instead, but decided against it. Pregnant Sango got tired very easily these days. A whole day of market had knocked her off her feet last time… she wouldn't want any time with Kagome. She sighed miserably and gave a forced smile. "Thank you anyway, Bankotsu. You may go now."

He left quietly and Kagome laid her head back in her arms as the advisors droned on about their teachings.

She didn't know how much more of this loneliness she could take…

^_^

Kagome was finally free of the advisors when it came time to go to bed. Of course, if she hadn't dismissed them, they probably would have followed her in, watched her change and settle in bed and talked none stop about taxes again. Perhaps she'd abolish them completely and watch them all squirm…

Kagome grabbed her pillow, pressed her face into it and screamed as loud as she could. The sound was muffled, but at least she relieved herself of her pent-up anger and despair. She rolled back onto her back, suddenly feeling very empty and miserable.

"I hate my life. I hate taxes. I hate royalty. I hate it when I get out of a carriage and bang my head in the door frame. I hate it that Inuyasha died. I hate that I never got the chance to say goodbye. The last time I saw him, he punched me. I hate that. I hate everything and everyone in this godforsaken palace who isn't human and _is _a royal advisor." She listed calmly. "And I'm talking to myself… I hate that… I think I just might be starting to lose it too…"

All the misery, the loneliness and the pain were beginning to well up again, as they did now and then. The tears rose in her eyes, but she battled to hold them back and forced herself to swallow painfully past the lump that had formed in her throat.

There was a knock at the door and she panicked. She didn't want to see anyone with messy eyes and a strained voice… she sat up quickly and rubbed her eyes viciously, trying to dry them as quickly as she could. "Who is it?" she called, proud that her voice sounded normal and didn't betray her pain.

"Bankotsu."

Kagome stiffened and stared at the door uncertainly. It was well past midnight… what on earth could be so important? She looked down at herself and quickly tugged the quilts up around her body to conserve modesty. "Um… come in…!"

The door slid back and he entered one step, saw her face and then sighed. "You've been crying again."

"Only a little." She responded in a small voice, giving up on her firm posture and sagged slightly into herself.

"You still grieve then." He noted, walking towards the bed with a sympathetic sort of expression.

Kagome nodded slightly… before shaking her head. "It's all sorts of things… it's not just Inuyasha anymore…"

"What is it?" he frowned. "I thought you'd be happy as new Queen?"

"I'm not." She felt the tears rising again and slid her arms around her knees to hug them to her chest tightly. "I hate it… the constant nagging… the pressuring… all these people wanting different things – and I want to give them all they want – but I can't – the advisors won't let me and then… and then I feel I can't be a good queen…" her voice was weakening into a breathless whisper. "I can't be Queen, Bankotsu! God. I've tried, but I can't! I'll screw up if I go on and then where will that leave me and everyone else! All they talk about is war and taxes – how should they go about training a new army? How should they make it bigger? I don't know! I'm just the daughter of a poor farmer – I grew up thinking that the only thing I had to learn in life was how to sew rice and smile to attract the perfect husband!" she gave a choked sob. "And I can't even do that right, so how can I be Queen."

"You're really suffering, aren't you?" he commented, sitting down on the bed and putting a hand to her shoulder. She tensed instantly, but didn't throw him off. "I would try persuading Lady Inu to choose someone else… but she is too far gone with illness now…"

Kagome pressed her forehead to her knees and took shuddering breathes. "Lady Inu is dying… Inuyasha is already dead… I can't see my friends and I can't cope with all this pressure!" she cried and felt the sobs take her freely now. "I didn't ask for this! I feel like I'm going to explode with all this emotion inside me – but then again I feel so empty at the same time! What is this?!"

"It's depression." Bankotsu told her gently. "The worse suffering of emotional pain, I think you'll find."

"I want it to go away… I want to be happy again – but how can I do that without forgetting Inuyasha – and I have to be Queen! I hate being queen… I can't do this… I think I'll just die… and I don't want to forget Inuyasha, even if it means I'm free from this pain…"

"He's only recently died, Kagome. It's natural to grieve this seriously." His hand was squeezing her shoulder again, and she noted the lack of formality when he used her name. "It hurts now, it always does when you lose someone dear… you can't help but feel the loss and remember how they left you. But trust me… in time you'll remember their life before they died. And when you think of him you'll smile, remembering your shared time together instead of the pain you suffer now. Inuyasha wouldn't want you to suffer at his expense."

"Well too bad. I suffer because of him… I have had nothing _but _suffering since I heard his name!" Kagome said in a burst of anger. "Because of him I fell in love with a complete moron who is too wussy to love someone twice – someone who floats around on a cloud all day and ignores me! And now he's dropped the biggest bombshell of all! He leaves me to rule the country and cope alone!"

"You don't mean that." Bankotsu told her softly.

"I do…" she whimpered. "I do… when he hated me… it broke my heart… and when he said he couldn't trust me again… it broke the pieces of my heart into tiny little shards… And before him – Kouga broke my heart and shattered it… my family broke my heart and shattered it… now Inuyasha's died and my heart is shattered again… and again…" she silently shook as the sobs tore her slight frame. "There's only so many times this heart can break – and Inuyasha complains that Kikyo broke his heart and that I broke his heart too – well here's news for him – I'm more hurt than he could even imagine or feel!"

"You're turning pain to anger, Kagome. Don't." he warned lightly.

"What would you know – you don't love Inuyasha like I do – you don't know what happened between us! You don't know what it's like to have your heart torn out repeatedly! And all the small things too, you know! Every time he pulled away from a hug, or when we held hands – it ripped at my heart! Every cold glance he sent me made me feel so deflated! All the tactless remarks and forgotten birthdays and when he forgot to meet me and gave the excuse that work was running him silly I felt like I died a small death!"

Why was she spilling her heart to Bankotsu of all people? Maybe because he was the only one available to her… maybe because she was running short of energy and suffering from lack of sleep. But it was all coming out. All the stuff she wanted to shout at Inuyasha was being flooded to Bankotsu instead. He just sat and listened, not interrupting or perhaps cheering her on like Sango would have done.

"Sometimes I thought he still hated me… and sometimes I thought he could still love me yet…" she shook her head and sniffed. "It wasn't supposed to be this way… my sucky life was supposed to get better. But it seems like I've just been shoved from one kind of hell to another – except the last three years have been such sweet torture that maybe this grieving thing is nothing compared to all that I've been through."

"You're just _very _depressed." Bankotsu pulled her over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders like an older brother would comfort his sister. "It'll go away. I promise you. Don't look back in hate for Inuyasha… you loved him. Respect that."

Kagome was still incredibly tense against him, but she was getting worn out with tensing so much. She relaxed slightly against him and stared dully at her fingers vaguely noticing ink smudges on her pads. "You seem so familiar with grieving…" she whispered. "Have you lost someone you cared for too?"

"More than one person." He said seriously. She couldn't see his face, but he sounded distant. She felt sort of sorry for him.

"Give me advice… tell me what to do to make it better…?"

"Accept it. Move on. You have stopped to grieve your loss, but meanwhile the world is rushing on… if you fall too far behind you may not be able to catch up again."

Good advice. It gave her some resolved strength for the time being.

"And… don't forget him. That's the worst mistake you can make." He told her.

"I can get over it." She said, with some certainty. "But being the ruler of half an island, at a time of war is going to break me, I swear… you're captain of the guard… you must know a way out of this for me."

"Well… someone could kill you and take the throne for himself?"

She shook her head slowly, but scarily, she seemed to contemplate that idea before disproving it.

"You could have a child… fifty percent chance it's a boy… wait thirteen or so years until the boy is a man and can handle the throne for you?"

Kagome sighed. "I can't wait that long. I'll be dead by then… and I can't possibly even consider loving anyone else enough to… bear children with them."

"The only other option is to marry… Kagome." He said with such thoughtfulness that she stopped and thought as well. She was a desperate woman… how far was she willing to stoop to relieve herself of this burden? Could she marry someone for political gain, not love?

She'd always disrespecting women who married for nothing but money… married men they didn't love and spent their lives having affairs and wishing they could marry the simple stable boy instead…

Here she was… Kagome the hypocrite again.

Ever so slowly she pulled away from Bankotsu and raised her gaze to meet his steadily. "I'm desperate…" she said flatly.

He raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"I… I have to get rid of this throne… if I don't then I will either go insane or I will kill myself… I want to do neither." She swallowed and briefly flicked her gaze to her lap, frowning hard, before looking back up at him again. "You… you were the one everyone expected to be King. And now that I'm Queen… do you hate me for it?"

"Never." He said with a smile.

"But don't you want to be King?" she asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't. But I don't turn green with envy for you." His smile faded slowly.

"You'd make a better ruler than me any day…" she said truthfully. "You should have gotten the title, not me… I want to make it up to you…"

He sat, attentive.

"If… if I marry you…" she started quietly. "You would have to understand that… even though you are a good, dear man… I don't love you… I can't love you… not ever… I would simply be handing over my role as ruler to you… and with that done… I'd divorce you."

He nodded slowly.

She looked guiltily to her lap. "I'm sorry if it seems like I'm teasing you, or playing with your feelings – I really don't mean to! But I don't want to lead you on either! Because Inuyasha is my heart and all I can love is him… I spent all my love on that idiot and now there's nothing left to love you or anyone else the same way."

Bankotsu smiled gently and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "You have my word as an honoured captain that I will do as you wish. I won't seek your love in return. I will just marry you, take away your burden and then divorce you and let you free again." He stood and turned back towards the door. When he reached it he looked back at her seriously. "And trust me, you'll find room in you shattered, unstable heart to love someone new… even if it won't be me."

With that said, he left her room and gently shut the screen door behind him. Kagome sat on the bed, thinking over her decision. Was it the right thing to do? Marry Bankotsu and let him take over as ruler? She didn't love him… she loved Miroku more than she loved that man… and that wasn't saying much. He seemed honest and nice… sort of elusive and distant from the other people in the palace… but if he could ease this pain somewhat then she would become the selfish bitch to rid herself of this pressure…

Inuyasha would be furious… He got mad enough when someone just looked at her the wrong way… what would marriage do to him?

"He's dead… nothing can reach him – especially with that thick skull…" she insulted mildly as she lay back down to sleep and once more, fretted more than ever over her choices and her decisions.

Marriage… it sounded so final and binding… but it was just a scapegoat. _Way to cheapen the bond of marriage, Kagome_, she congratulated herself dryly.

Eventually she settled down enough for sleep to eventually claim her… but before she succumbed to the drowsiness completely she sighed sadly and whispered quietly to her silent room…

"I love you…"

AN: They _will _be reunited some time soon I hope. Hold your breath (but stop when you start turning blue) Next chapter – 'Wedded Bliss' So sorry….


	12. Wedded Bliss

AN: After some thought, I've decided to keep the rating PG-13. I don't think it steps into R territory just yet – though some scenes come close I reckon. I suppose an R rating would give me more freedom to go into darker country… but then again, I don't want it too dark, so keeping it PG-13 will keep me on the track I want to go along. Confused? Yes, I am too don't you know? I've gone past most of the dark stuff anyway, so changing the rating will be a little late and pointless. Though, this isn't the end of the creepy factor just yet ^_^

And by the way, I have now moved to the country for a few weeks. Thankfully I still have access to the Internet (otherwise I would have shrivelled up and died by now), but things have slowed down on the updating front. I intend to borrow a dog later today and worry the sheep across the road – they're keeping me up at night with their constant bleating. Very tired right now… but I'll be very happy once I strap that 'mint sauce prices fall' to the dog's back. That'll worry those sheep real nice…

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 12

Wedded Bliss

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Sango asked seriously as she busily swept Kagome's hair back into a smooth bun. "Marrying seems so… so final… are you sure this is what you want?"

"I don't want it." Kagome replied with a disheartened sigh. "I don't love Bankotsu and he knows that… and he promises that we can make a divorce when he's King."

"Don't you think Lady Inu chose you over Bankotsu for a reason?" Sango pointed out. "Yes, she's sick with fever, but she distrusts Bankotsu as much as me and Miroku."

"She's too sick with fever to know what she's thinking… maybe she made a mistake in selecting me?" Kagome shook her head, causing Sango to force it still again. "Anyways… he knows how to run a country better than me. I won't manage… but he can."

"And what if Inuyasha's ghost comes back to haunt you for marrying another man barely three weeks after he died?" Sango raised an eyebrow.

"I don't believe in ghosts." Kagome said… and after a moment they heard a clatter in the adjoining room. "What was that?!" she yelped, gripping the dresser as she whipped around.

"Just the wind." Sango reassured her and turned her back to face the dresser to continue on her hair. "You seem jumpy."

"I'm nervous."

"That's natural. You're marrying a man you don't love. A man you feel no affinity for. A man you barely know." Sango said breezily. "Of course you feel nervous."

"It's ok, though. The minute we marry, he takes over the throne and in a matter of days we'll go to the priest and get a separation. I'll be back to being ordinary, grieving Kagome, in love with a dead guy, and Bankotsu can carry on being a leader of sorts. It's only temporary."

"And what if he decides not to divorce you?" Sango asked quietly. "You said that he professed his love for you…"

"He sounded truthful when he said he would honour my wishes…" Kagome responded thoughtfully. "But there's really nothing more I can do. I _have _to marry or this job will kill me like it did Inuyasha."

"Hey, maybe we'll get lucky and it'll kill Bankotsu too." Sango sighed.

Kagome rolled her eyes and turned her eyes to her lap.

"The life expectancy of a King isn't very good, you know." Sango said in a conversational tone. "The most anyone has lasted is ninety odd years. That was Inuyasha's grandfather… Lord Inubiru."

"Lord Inu killed him, didn't he?" Kagome frowned at Sango's reflection in the mirror which nodded. "Ninety years? That's not so short…"

"Well… considering when an Inu Youkai hits his prime around thirty or forty years… they live like that for nearly a hundred a fifty years… and then the last twenty or so years are spent descending into senile times and wrinkly skin. The life expectancy is about two hundred… ninety years as King isn't that impressive."

"Inuyasha lasted three…" Kagome whispered. "Does that make him weaker than the others?"

"No." Sango admonished firmly. "He hadn't reached his prime yet… It just makes him unluckier than the others. They weren't entirely lucky either." She sniffed and scratched an itch on his nose. "They say there's a curse on the royal family."

"Since when?" Kagome had never heard such a thing.

"Since the first Lord took it in his head to rule over all other Inu Youkai. The curse is that the son will always kill the father." Sango said in a deadpan sort of tone. "I don't believe in it… it's just an unhappy coincidence that Lord Inu killed his father… and Lord Inu's father killed _his _father… and his father killed _his _father…"

"Inuyasha didn't kill Lord Inu." Kagome glanced up at her.

"Not directly… no…"

"What do you mean 'not directly'?"

"Well… the only reason Lord Inu left this island to go to Inaki was because he was collecting the jewel from Kikyo to deliver to Inuyasha… he was killed on his way back… if Inuyasha hadn't gotten involved with Kikyo then Lord Inu wouldn't have had to leave at such a-"

"Just stop right there!" Kagome half cried. "Inuyasha did not kill Lord Inu – however directly or indirectly! If anything it was Kikyo's fault."

Sango grunted. "I totally agree. Everything got screwed up when that 'pure' miko came along. If you ask me – if she was so pure, how come Naraku's influence managed to brainwash her into thinking Inuyasha was out to get her? Some great miko she was…"

Kagome gave a small smile, inwardly voicing her agreement. If Kikyo hadn't met Inuyasha first, then maybe he wouldn't have had his hang-ups about falling in love again.

But then again… if she hadn't met Inuyasha first, then Kagome wouldn't have been led to him, and she wouldn't have fallen in love with him and had her chance with him… She'd probably be stuck, alone and exiled the way Naraku found her. He wouldn't have come for her if Kikyo hadn't met Inuyasha. Kouga would still be dead, her family would still hate her (they still hated her anyway) and she probably would have caught cholera and died on some street corner, being passed off as a beggar.

Maybe she could thank Kikyo in a way for leading her into such a comfortable life?

Kagome snorted, surprising Sango. The day she thanked Kikyo for scarring Inuyasha's emotions was the day she sprouted wings and flew with the pigs.

Not happening.

"I'm going to ask you again…" Sango sighed as she moved around to kneel before the younger girl. "Are you sure you want to do this? I'm sure we'll find a loophole in the law that says you can choose an heir that isn't related to you."

Kagome shook her head. "I talked to the advisors… they knew the laws better than anyone… I can't just _give up _this throne… I have to give it to someone I apparently trust enough to marry. Meaning I would have to prove that trust and marry them to get them the title of King."

"But… of all the people… Bankotsu?" Sango grimaced.

"Can you think of anyone else who could be King?" She asked.

"Well…" Sango thought hard… but came up with nothing. "But can't you wait a while? Maybe someone more trustworthy could come along and win your heart?"

Kagome shook her head once more. "I can't love again… and even if someone did come along who was more trustworthy than Bankotsu… I'm sure I would have been driven to an early grave. And who's to say someone won't come and assassinate me whilst I'm waiting for that 'special' person to come along?"

"But… Bankotsu?" Sango said again in the same tone as before.

"I know! I don't exactly trust him either… but he's my only hope for freedom!" Kagome grasped her friends hands. "If I marry him I'll be free to be myself again! We can spend time together… something I think we both need since Inuyasha… and if I was Queen, then I would miss this next little bundle of joy entering the world." She smiled as she placed their hands on Sango's stomach. "How much more time do you have left?"

"A month or so…" Sango smiled fully for the first time in a while. "Me and Miroku are making bets on the gender."

"I say it'll be…" she laid her head on Sango's stomach and listened. All she got was a light kick in the head. "It's kicking…!"

"It does that a lot." Sango grinned.

"Then it's obviously a girl. She'll take after you. A boy would take after Miroku and sit quietly in there and meditate." Kagome grinned back.

At moments like that it was easy to forget that in a few hours Kagome would be getting married… and making the greatest mistake of her life.

^_^

"So what was her name?" Shippo chirped from Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Broomhilda."

"I don't believe that." Shippo retorted. "The most beautiful girl in the world cannot be called Broomhilda."

"She was!" Inuyasha shot back. "The oracle told us that statistically, the most beautiful girl in the entire world was named 'Broomhilda'. Doesn't sound that bad…"

"Because you're probably pronouncing it wrong." Shippo snorted.

"Whatever… I only speak my mother tongue, I don't know any other languages."

"Mother tongue? What language is that?"

"The one I'm speaking right now, birdbrain!" Inuyasha poked him angrily. "And you aren't being much help you know – you're supposed to be directing me to the silver mines!"

"Why direct you? You're going the right way anyway." Shippo shrugged and fell quiet. It was a long time before he spoke again, whilst they were travelling over some random bridge over a river. "Can we stop for a drink?"

Inuyasha was about to refuse, when he noticed that the horse needed a drink too… he was about to refuse anyway, just to spite the kistune… but decided he needed his ride more than his stubbornness.

He sat on the grassy verge patiently while the horse refreshed itself and nibbled at some greens… Shippo did very much the same. "So what was her name again?"

"I told you – Broomhilda!" Inuyasha snapped.

"No – I meant the dead girl back home you're trying save." Shippo furrowed a frown on his forehead as he chomped on some berries. "How does that work anyway? Saving a dead girl? I thought there were points when things became impossible."

Inuyasha rumbled a sigh. "My brother has a sword that revives dead bodies."

"Cool." Shippo nodded. "But what if the soul has left the body and reincarnated as someone or something else?"

"That…" Inuyasha frowned. "… would only happen if I waited too long to revive her."

"And how long have you been waiting?"

"A few weeks…"

"Maybe her soul's still sticking around." The Kitsune shrugged. "But maybe not."

Inuyasha fell silent, watching the grass between the fingers splayed across the ground beside him. Shippo noticed his thoughtful look and swallowed his food to talk again. "So what was her name?"

"Kagome."

"What did she look like?"

"What does that matter?" Inuyasha said tersely.

"I just want a mental image, that's all." Shippo said defensively… before adding under his breath. "Butt muncher…"

He was pelted with a rock for that comment, but Inuyasha seemed to decide to humour him anyway. "She was… pretty."

"Was she really pretty, or are you just saying that because you liked her and she's dead?"

"No. She wasn't pretty." Inuyasha resolved. "She was beautiful. She had these beautiful blue eyes… the colour of…" he looked around before looking up at the sky. "That shade of blue up there."

Shippo looked up and noted the colour… not incredibly blue, since it was slightly overcast… but still a grey kind of blue. "What else?" he asked, taking another handful of berries into his mouth.

"She has hair… down to about here." He gestured below his shoulder. "It shines in the light and turns wavy about halfway down… and when you touch it, it feels like feathers… really soft."

Shippo stopped chewing slowly and stared at Inuyasha reproachfully. This didn't quite sound like the description of a girl he was merely just acquaintances with. This sounded interesting. "What else is so pretty about her?"

"Her lips." He said in a vaguely indifferent way, but the way he stared off into space as he spoke told otherwise. "Two full lips… One of her best features I think. The way she smiles and her lips curve just the right way to lift her cheeks… and her teeth are straight and perfect." He pointed to one of his fangs. "Her canines are small… but they're cute – and when she gives big smiles I always seem to notice the one on the right… I don't know why…"

"Because you have a fang fetish."

After lobbing another rock half-heartedly at the kid he continued. "She has a little toe exactly like mine on her left foot." He wrinkled his nose as he wriggled his toes experimentally. "Her feet are small… and she always curls them when she puts them in cold water. She does that a lot, wouldn't you believe? When she goes outside she always goes barefoot… and my mother used to make her wash her feet in water before she came back inside the palace… She chews her nails when she's anxious… but they're still perfect… but when she gardens she always gets dirt under them."

"She gardens?" Shippo asked.

"Whenever she can." He nodded. "Most of the time I find her walking in the forest. She collects flowers and herbs and stuff… she keeps lavender in her room and the place permanently wreaks of the stuff."

"I like lavender." Shippo smiled.

"Mm. It's like… Kagome's personal smell. I smell lavender and I think Kagome." He scratched his head absently.

"So she has a pretty face… has soft hair and smells nice." Shippo jerked his chin up. "What's the catch?"

"What?"

"What's her flaw? Her quirk? She too skinny or too fat?"

"She's got a perfect little body." Inuyasha growled. "She doesn't have a flaw!"

"Everyone has a flaw." Shippo scowled. "I'm lacking on the magic front – you're lacking in the personality front. Is she just lacking in the front completely?" he gestured to his chest.

Inuyasha raised another rock threateningly. "I said she's perfect!"

"Of course you'd say that because you love her." Shippo snorted, not intimidated one bit by the stone in his hand.

"Love has nothing to do with it! If she's perfect she's perfect and that's all there is to it!" Inuyasha snapped, lowering the rock anyhow. "She's lovely… so I guess her only flaw now is that she's dead."

"You sure think highly of her."

"Of course I do." He snorted. "I always have." Though there had been times when he'd thought less of her…

"You hear that?" Shippo suddenly perked his head around and watched the other side of the river. Inuyasha frowned and listened too… and heard the sound of far-off footfalls racing along the ground. Footfalls of a small person or creature.

"What do you-" Shippo started to say – but he was cut off as somebody came charging through the bushes on the opposite bank.

It was a small, rather scruffy looking girl. Both Inuyasha and Shippo just stared as she trotted over to the bank, fell to her knees and put her lips to the water's surface to drink like some kind of deer. She wore terrible little rags… and her face was either dirty of bruised… probably both…

She finally seemed to drink her fill before straightening and wiping her mouth on her sleeve. She spotted Inuyasha and Shippo at last and stared a moment back before breaking out into a big smile with a hearty wave.

Inuyasha and Shippo just stared. Who the heck was she? A little girl out in the middle of nowhere drinking from a river? What the hell had happened to her parents?

Shippo just shifted in mild wonder, looking at the happily waving girl like she was some kind of alien. "Just smile and nod and maybe she'll just leave."

"That didn't work with you, so I doubt it'll work with her either."

"Yes, but you didn't smile or nod at me – you hit me."

Inuyasha stood bolt upright suddenly… realising that the little girl wasn't as alone as she looked. What confused him most was what on earth he was doing with her…? His hand went to his sword slowly as he felt the enormous presence behind him. 

"Sesshomaru…"

^_^

Kagome walked up the aisle made by people on either side of the throne room. She walked with her arm looped through Bankotsu's… it was all so eerily quiet… even though there was soft music playing and a few people having coughing fits in the background… but the roaring in her ears was so loud, it drowned out everything else.

And everyone looked so sad… she gazed around at all the faces she passed… they weren't looking at her, but they weren't supposed to be looking at her. They were supposed to look formal… but was it possible to look formal and saddened at the same time?

The Shinto priest was beginning the blessings… Kagome vaguely saw his mouth moving but didn't hear the words. She looked around her and saw Sango and Miroku standing on one side of the gathered guests, Fushi holding his father's hand and Reiko asleep in her mother's arms… Sango and Miroku looked pale and anxious like usual… and Fushi was glaring at the floor before him.

Kagome turned her eyes to the man beside her, and no longer felt that sinking feeling when she saw Bankotsu… mostly because her feelings couldn't sink much lower. Any minute now Inuyasha would burst through those doors and stop the ceremony…

Wouldn't he?

She'd pictured how this day would go when she was a little girl. When she'd first understood the concept of love and marriage, she had imagined first that she would marry a handsome man who was kind and sweet… her dream man had been faceless back then. Then she'd grown older, and prayed that a passing lord would see her working in the fields and notice her amongst the other girls and marry her – taking her away from her family and away from poverty… her dream man had still been faceless, but he'd be wearing the clothes of a very rich man at their wedding. 

Then she'd found Kouga… and all of a sudden her faceless man had been a wolf demon… Ok, maybe that had sounded less glamorous than it actually was… but Kouga had been loyal, sweet, heroic, romantic, and always showered her with praise and adoration.

Then he'd been killed.

She'd found Naraku to revive him… lost her soul to that monster and then Kouga had deserted her in favour of pursuing a war with the Inu Youkai – or more specifically, with Inuyasha. At that point her dream man had still been wearing Kouga's face, even though she knew that she never wanted to love him or marry him in the future.

But for a while there, she'd been able to picture herself marrying that wolf…

And then she'd met Inuyasha. After a while her man had become him. He was the man who would be beside her when she pictured her wedding. He was the one she would want to wake up beside every morning… the one she wanted to share the rest of her life with. But why? Her dream man had been kind, eloquent, loving and romantic. He would bring her flowers and praise her and tell her how much he needed her.

Inuyasha was nothing like that. He was abrupt, rude, at times selfish, irrational, unreasonable, aggressive, violent, disconcerting, condescending and allusive. He'd never brought her flowers, he'd never told her that she was attractive, or nice, or how lucky he was to know her. He was in no way loving or romantic or eloquent – despite being a King.

So why did she love him?

Well it wasn't like she could just tell her heart to stop caring. If it was that easy she wouldn't be in love with him any more. If she had a choice… she would have chosen not to love him.

Stupid fool…

And now here she was… marrying a man she had never pictured as her dream man, and was wishing with all her heart that he was Inuyasha… or the former King would at least come rushing in to save her.

The priest finished his blessings and started on the vows.

No sign of Inuyasha yet.

Kagome went through her rehearsed vows, if not slowly and jerkily… she kept forgetting her next line. But she stumbled through them, all the while keeping a vague eye on the throne room doors, waiting for Inuyasha to arrive. He wouldn't miss her wedding would he?

Then the ceremony was over, she was being led away from the priest and towards the doors. Her head swum as the people around her bowed in respect to a new King and his new wife. She stopped, forcing Bankotsu to stop beside her… she was going to pass out… or throw up… either way, she didn't feel too good.

The doors ahead of her opened and she, along with everyone else in the throne room, looked up as a strong light shone through. A shape was forming out of the light, someone was coming through the doors. Kagome heard the audible gasp around her as they recognised him. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Bankotsu's hands were steadying her… she couldn't keep from slumping to the side, her legs refusing to hold her up. Sango was there as well at her side, and Miroku behind her. That roaring in her ears was getting louder… but she doubted if she would be able to hear anything anyway… everyone looked silent.

"You came…" she whispered, or at least felt herself whisper. "Inuyasha…"

His outline was still unclear… his whole body shrouded in shadow despite how much light spilled around him. He started forward, his hand moving to his sword. A few steps into the room and he'd drawn it completely. A few more steps and he was standing over her crumpled form, Toukijin high above his head with a furious look on his face. She was suddenly alone with him… there was no one else there in the throne room to help her.

"And _what_ is the meaning of _this_?!" she clearly heard him grind out over the roaring blood. "What does this mean?!"

"_Inuyasha?!_" The sword came down on her head and she screamed.

"Kagome!"

She snapped her eyes open and found herself staring up at Bankotsu's worried face. Miroku was pushing people back to give her air whilst Sango crouched on her other side, looking even more anxious than before.

"What… what happened?" Kagome rasped out, still feeling light-headed and like her limbs had turned to lead.

"You fainted." Bankotsu told her.

"Oh…" she responded in dawning realisation. She'd just imagined the whole thing. Inuyasha hadn't come… because he was dead… why didn't she understand that yet?

They helped her up and started to lead her out of the throne room. She noticed that she hadn't imagined the wedding… she was married to Bankotsu now, something that would literally stick in the history books forever. Bankotsu was King… and she was still Queen, but not in charge anymore.

She leaned on her new husband for support as he led her off in the direction of the royal suite. There would be another catch to this marriage now… she'd have to share a room with Bankotsu… but at least he'd promised to only sleep there whilst she was elsewhere. How nice of him…

"You were calling his name." Bankotsu told her gently as he set her on the bed carefully.

"I saw him…" she said quietly, nearly ashamed of herself for doing this to him. "I'm sorry Bankotsu, I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok. You're weak and still grieving." He patted her knee compassionately with a pleasant smile. "You need your rest."

"Thank you." She watched him leave before she got up to clean her face of all the make-up, and change out of her wedding kimono into her sleeping yukata.

She'd expected marriage to feel different. Like she'd finally stepped out of childhood into womanhood and become an obedient wife to a lord, graceful and ethereal like in all the stories and pictures.

But she didn't feel that way… it just felt like another day… another day without Inuyasha.

She cried. 

^_^

"It's done." Bankotsu smirked as he entered Renkotsu's underground study room. "Suikotsu rules the North and I am now ruling the South. The Shichinin-tai rule the Inu island now."

"Congratulations." The monk looked up evenly to regard his leader. "And now that we are finished with the preliminaries, I suppose this is where we get over this revenge business and concentrate on… resurrected the others."

"The revenge isn't over until Jakotsu returns with Tessaiga and his sword stained with Inuyasha's blood." Bankotsu picked up the talisman that incurred the last ruler's madness, tossing it lightly in the palm of his hand. "But with Jakotsu on his tail he's as good as dead anyway I suppose."

"And what if he bests Jakotsu and returns?"

"Then _this _will keep everyone from believing anything he says." Bankotsu flung the talisman to Renkotsu who watched it flatly as it landed on the futon beside him. "He's a raving madman remember."

"Whom your wife loves and will believe in no matter what." Renkotsu turned a cool look on Bankotsu. "So when do you kill her?"

"Kill her?" he snorted. "Who says we're going to kill her?"

"After the wedding, I though that was part of plan."

"Like hell." Bankotsu folded his arms and looked down on the monk. "She's going to play a vital part of reviving the last three of the Shichinin-tai."

"Indeed?"

"She has visions. She sees things that have already happened. And her ability to manipulate nature is incredible. Have you seen her little garden in the forest."

"Sorry. Don't get let out much." Renkotsu replied dryly.

"Well anyway. If she can see the past with these small visions, then she can witness the curse that was cast ten years ago. We need to hear the words that were spoken to condemn us so that we can reverse the effects of the curse and effectively make all seven of us stronger, instead of weaker."

Renkotsu narrowed his eyes. "She can watch the curse take place and hear the incantation?"

"The one that was cast by the dark miko to weaken our strength each by half." Bankotsu nodded. "If we know what curse she spoke then we can counter curse it and make us all stronger by double – and any dead Shichinin-tai come back to life."

"Interesting. And your new wife is willing to do all this?"

"Not yet." Bankotsu smiled slowly. "But she'll come round."

AN: Nevermind. I'll make it all up to you later on. Next chapter – 'The Kotsu Truth'


	13. The Kotsu Truth

AN: Um… what to say… what to say… I guess I bring in another twist in this chapter that I think you'll like (or hate, depends on how you see things) but remember, its all in the sake of a complicated story!

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 13

The Kotsu Truth

A dull crack and a thud… and Inuyasha had to bite down on his lip to keep from crying aloud as his arm finally gave into the pressure and snapped.

The runt, Shippo, had already scampered away on Inuyasha's order. Not that he'd wanted to stick around anyway. 

"Perhaps it's just a coincidence that you happened to be passing through the same part of the mainland as me. The same country. The same province. The same road… past the same bridge." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at his younger brother, casually letting him go to drop back into the water of the fast flowing river. "Sorry for being such a pessimist, but I don't believe in coincidences. You followed me."

It was strange. After fighting his brother three years ago, Inuyasha seemed to have forgotten how amazingly powerful the older Youkai was… it worried him slightly… he knew that if Sesshomaru had chosen to attack at any time between then and now, the south would have had its ass kicked again by the north. Sesshomaru had only gotten stronger in that time whilst Inuyasha's cockiness and arrogance had only gotten worse.

He let his injured arm fall limply to his side and managed to struggle to his feet in the knee deep waters. He switched his sword from his left hand to his right hand, but he really needed both hands on the hilt to fight his brother.

"Stubborn. Stupid. Small. Scrawny." Sesshomaru listed with a bored look. "You haven't changed much have you. Now why did you follow me?"

"So I could kill you? Why else?!" Inuyasha yelled. He'd only been contending with his brother for five minutes, but already his arm was shattered, his head had been bruised badly having been cracked against the rocks at least three times and he had a sprained wrist on his unbroken arm. Sesshomaru meanwhile, looked like he was having a royal time. Not a scratch or tear in her perfect clothing or immaculate skin.

"Shall I hazard a guess?" Sesshomaru said evenly. "You were thrown off your throne. Your state of dress tells so much. I thought you'd at least bother to mug some lord by now and steal his clothes. You're still in your underwear."

"Shut up!"

"Tell me. Was it Suikotsu who brought you down? Or some other Kotsu?"

"What?" Inuyasha stopped and stared in confusion at his brother. "What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't brought down – I left!"

"To find me and bring me back to gallantly reclaim my throne?" Sesshomaru gave a brief roll of his eyes. "I'm flattered. I truly am. But I lost on purpose, and I have no intention of returning."

You learned new and amazing things every day. "I didn't come to bring you back!" Inuyasha spat. "I came to take your sword – and I _will_ take it!"

"Oh?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that my line?"

"I want Tenseiga!" Inuyasha ignored the fact that he sounded like a demanding child, he didn't really care right then. "I need it!"

Sesshomaru shifted his stance slightly and raised his head a tad to look down on the Hanyou standing in the river, looking worse for wear. "You want Tenseiga? To revive someone I presume." A small smile graced his lips as his hand went to rest on the hilt of his other sword, Toukijin. Inuyasha followed the movement, trying to figure out which of the two blades he carried was the mercy sword. "Wouldn't happen to be that human chit now would it?"

Inuyasha bristled and tightened his hand around the hilt of Tessaiga. "You can't stop me from taking that sword!"

"Oh I won't. But I should warn you. I no longer possess it." Sesshomaru told him breezily. "It was shattered into five or six pieces by the thing that took my throne. It's irreparable… unless of course you happen to be the creator of the sword. Toutousai I think was his name… good luck finding him and the sword in time though."

A rather cold feeling passed through Inuyasha… all his hope was suddenly crushed. All in vain…

"And what did you plan to do with it anyway?" Sesshomaru continued. "The blade has chosen me as its master – it will respond to no one else, especially not the master of a weapon such as that one of mass destruction. You're a little killer with that thing… a blade of mercy would never obey you. It would never revive a dead girl for you."

Inuyasha felt devoid of all feeling at that moment. He couldn't bring himself to feel anger… or grief…

"And better yet, what a wasted journey?" Sesshomaru tipped his head slightly. "You came all this way for a sword that is actually all the way back where you started. Incredible… that you would desert an entire kingdom for the sake of one human girl. Especially at a time of war."

Inuyasha scowled up at him at last. "I didn't desert them! Bankotsu can take care of everything – he would be a capable leader in my absence!"

"A capable usurper of the throne more like. Bankotsu… Bankotsu…" Sesshomaru gazed upon Inuyasha with a smug sort of look. "Bankotsu… sounds familiar."

"What are you babbling about?" Inuyasha snarled.

"Why… the creature who took my throne… what was his name…?" Sesshomaru's smile suddenly disappeared. "Oh yes. Suikotsu. A human if I remember. What a coincidence? They share a similar name. Your Bankotsu wouldn't happen to be human now would he?"

Inuyasha stiffened and felt an even colder feeling pass over him.

"He wouldn't happen to carry around an enormous sword on his back – similar size to Tessaiga transformed?" Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow. "Tricky coincidence if he is."

"How do you know all this?!" Inuyasha barked.

"Because before I left, the Suikotsu trash told me that he was claiming the island in the name of the Shichinin-tai. In the name of his oo-aniki… Bankotsu."

"Impossible."

"And you just left your half of the island in the care of one of these… Shichinin-tai humans – all for the life of a girl you can't save anyway." Sesshomaru regarded him a moment, the little halfling looked awfully crestfallen. "If only I could have your portrait right now. You look incredibly pathetic. And it would probably last longer too."

A low growl erupted from Inuyasha and he suddenly rocketed forward towards his brother, swinging a fist out with claws extended. Sesshomaru barely breathed an irritated sigh as he lightly moved sideways to avoid the blow. It glanced off the armour above his waist… no damage at all. He turned to see Inuyasha topple forward onto the ground, his wasted momentum overbalancing him to land him flat on his face. He didn't move, but his breathing was ragged.

"You can barely stand, I can see. It wouldn't be fair to finish you off now. Next time we meet I hope you have at least some capability of fighting me in a fair match."

He turned and started to walk away. "Rin." He called over his shoulder.

The small girl who had been crouching in the middle of the bridge, watching the exchange through the wooden railing, suddenly hopped to her feet and trotted after Sesshomaru without a word, but a backward wave at the deflated looking Hanyou. She mouthed something like 'sorry' before turning back to concentrate on following in the Inu Youkai's wake.

Inuyasha didn't raise his head till they were both out of sight, and he checked around with his senses just to make sure they were really gone. He pushed himself up and lifted the sword he'd been covering with his body… the one he'd swiped from Sesshomaru's scabbard during that last 'miss'. He held it up and examined it critically before sighing and letting it drop back to the ground. Nope. It was full of all kinds of condensed evil and black power… Toukijin, not Tenseiga. Sesshomaru hadn't been lying to him…

Well, a sword was a sword, and he wasn't going to leave such a powerful one lying around. He might as well take it with him… but he needed to hurry.

^_^

It seemed like the weather had changed to suit Kagome's mood perfectly. The last few days had been hot and humid, the sun had been shining constantly in a blinding light from dawn till dusk. Now today of all days, Kagome had stepped outside, and suddenly lightning had streaked across the sky from the ominous black clouds that had suddenly drifted across the sky, blocking the sun.

She watched from the edge of the lake with mild interest as she saw forks of white hot light flashed through the air in the distance… accompanied a few seconds later by a loud rumble over head. The rain was pouring down in torrents as the wind whipped the skirts of her yukata around her numb legs.

She should probably go back in… but…

She closed her eyes with a sigh and blocked out the heavy rain that plastered her hair to her face and neck. Strangely enough, she couldn't feel the cold anymore. She just felt… empty…

Her marriage to Bankotsu had freed her in a way… she no longer had to deal with the duties of being a ruler… she could get back to grieving and moping and crying like before…

Another flash, quickly accompanied by a crash of thunder made her snap open her eyes. The storm was getting closer, and it was beginning to get dangerous to stay out in the open. She made up her mind and decided to head back to the palace. She'd probably go for a walk tomorrow when the storm had gone. That was what was nice about the summer storms… they didn't last long but they were impressive while they were there.

A dull flash of blue caught her gaze as she padded back towards the palace gates. It was just a lone flower sprouting from the grass… probably a weed… but as she knelt down on closer inspection she realised that the flower was actually rather beautiful. It was a tiny blue flower with a long stem and a yellow centre… it was get crushed in this storm…

Mindlessly Kagome plucked the flower from the ground and started to take it back inside with her. Only feet from the gates she was stopped again. This time by a flash and a fractured ripping sound that echoed around the grassy plateau before the palace. She whipped around in time to see a fork or lightning lance down towards the lake… more specifically towards the old weeping willow tree that sat on the lake's edge.

It was destroyed in one touch. It burst in an explosion of branches and wooden shrapnel… any flames that had been produced died quickly in the onslaught of rain. For a long time Kagome just stared in dumb shock at what she'd witnessed. 'Their' tree, as she'd liked to call it… the one she'd sat under with Inuyasha many times. Where she'd first really gotten a chance to talk to him… and get to know him…

It had just shattered like glass.

"Oh you are kidding me!" she yelled suddenly, turning her eyes to the heavens. "A huge palace a few hundred metres away and an entire forest of enormous trees and you hit a weedy weeping willow?! You're mocking me!!"

She glared angrily at the desecrated tree for a few more moments before turning angrily and storming back through the gates, back into the palace. She felt like crying again… it almost felt like she'd just lost Inuyasha all over again. Now there was a stupid notion…

"Kagome?" 

She looked up to see Miroku moving towards her through the entrance hall, Fushi held against his hip with one arm. "Change in weather I see?" he noted her dishevelled hair and skewed kimono.

"I didn't do it." She said defensively, fighting back the lump of tears in her throat. She saw that look – the one he gave her when strange things happened and he thought that she was behind it with her latent miko powers.

"Never said a word." He shrugged and was about to speak again when Fushi broke in.

"There's a bald red monk in the dungeons with scars on his cheeks and a voodoo doll on his table." The boy said as he fiddled with his father's collar.

"Sorry?" Kagome and Miroku both gave him a strange look.

"A red monk. In the basement." He rolled his eyes as if all grown-ups were slow and dumb. "He told me he would kill me if I told anyone about him."

"He wouldn't happen to be a friend of the blue wolf who haunts the chimney would he?" Miroku asked.

Fushi shrugged with a little shake of the head. "Dunno… probably."

Miroku shook his head at Kagome. "That age."

"Ah." She nodded, glancing over her shoulder as she saw the guards at the entrance force the doors closed against the rain that was literally pouring through in sheets of water. Meanwhile, Fushi started kicking up a fuss about being treated like a third person again whilst his father dragged him off talking about treats for good little third people.

Kagome shivered slightly with an odd sense of foreboding and looked up in time to see her dear husband descending the stairs towards her. He smiled when he noticed her standing in the entrance hall, like he usually did when he saw her. "You look like you've just been dragged through a thicket backwards by a pack of wolves."

"It was slightly windy…" she said dully, her gaze falling to the lone delicate flower held between her dripping fingers.

"Picking weeds again?" he raised an eyebrow as he followed her gaze. Something in his tone irritated her. Just because it was called a weed didn't mean it was any less beautiful than a lily…

"It's Angelfeather." She told him quietly, sniffing slightly as rain water dripped down her nose. "It's very rare, even if it is a weed."

"All flowers look the same to me." He dismissed with a shrug. Kagome looked around for a quick change of subject.

"Um – have you spoken to the Shinto priest about the separation."

His smile slipped slightly. "Yes."

"And?"

"He says… we'll have to wait a while." He shrugged with a sympathy smile to accompany it. "He thinks its just a lovers tiff. I tried to explain thing but he asked me to give it at least two weeks before I came to him again."

"Oh." Kagome looked down as she tried to contemplate two weeks more marriage to Bankotsu. It wasn't too bad… she could probably do it standing on her head in all truth. "And then he'd separate us?"

"Of course." Bankotsu smiled again.

"And…" Kagome started of hesitantly. "What about the sleeping arrangements?"

Here was the catch of the marriage. Through this union, they'd been forced to share a room between them, with only one bed to share as well. It was their wedding night tonight… The new moon – the night Inuyasha was supposed to have turned human.

"I promise. I'll only sleep when you are awake. We need not share a bed if it makes you uncomfortable." He bowed his head slightly to her.

"But won't you get tired?" She asked with a worried frown.

"No. I'll be fine, Kagome. But your concern is touching." He smiled. "Dinner will be served soon – you better go or you'll miss starters."

Kagome's stomach suddenly remembered its hunger at the mere thought of food and she gave a weak smile. "Ok. I'll see you later then."

"Ok." he waved as they parted ways and Kagome headed towards the dining room.

But even as she moved through the corridors she heard the shutters rattling against the wind and the incessant patter of rain against the palace itself… looked like they were in for quite a storm tonight…

^_^

"So where are you going now?!" Shippo yelled as he ripped through the ferns, chasing the horse the Hanyou King was riding. "Maybe you shouldn't go so fast – your arm can't heal with all the movement!"

"Who gives?!" Inuyasha yelled back, ducking another stray branch as he urged the horse to run faster through the forest. He was taking a short cut to the coast… he couldn't waste any time in his return. Not when the sun kept sinking lower and lower to the horizon. 

"Why…?!" Shippo broke off as he lunged forward and grabbed the horse's tail – scrambling his way up to grip the back of Inuyasha's undyed cotton undershirt. "Why are we going so fast?! What's the rush?!"

"I made a mistake!" Inuyasha wiped his face with his free hand, it was beginning to spit with rain. "I have to go back!"

"To your home?" Shippo squeaked as the animal made a sharp turn to the left. "What's there that's so important – besides the girl that is?!"

"She's beyond my help now." Inuyasha couldn't keep the slightly broken tone out of his voice. "I can't save her – but I have to save the others, I left them in the care of the enemy."

"Yeah, I hear that isn't a very clever thing to do." Shippo called to him sarcastically. "So who's the new enemy?!"

"Shichinin-tai."

"Seven samurai?"

"Or something like that." Inuyasha veered the horse out of the woods and onto a stable road, allowing to move with more ease. But Inuyasha's arm was killing him… the harder he urged the horse, the more he wrenched his broken arm… it wouldn't heal as fast as normal if he'd just rest it a while. But there was no time to waste now.

And the sun was beginning to set…

"I thought I could trust that creep!" Inuyasha bit out savagely, a mixture of fear, anger and apprehension making him very on edge all of a sudden. "But he's the source of all this mess! I reckon he was the one who killed Kagome… bastard…!"

"Inuyasha…" Shippo called in mild alarm as he thought, for a moment, that Inuyasha's eyes had flashed an angry shade of violet.

"I won't forgive him!" Inuyasha ranted on angrily. "I'll wring his neck! I'll cut off his ears – his nose – his tongue and his eyes! I'll make him suffer for what he did!"

Shippo didn't think he was imagining the way Inuyasha's ears were sliding down his head as the sun slid down over the horizon. "Inuyasha – are you feeling ok?!"

"No – I'm not feeling fucking ok!" he snapped. "I have to go avenge Kagome – I have to go swim the fucking channel – and I'm turning into a useless wreck with a broken arm and sprained wrist!"

Life couldn't possibly get much worse…

A figure appeared in the road dead ahead, blocking their path effectively. Inuyasha jerked on the reins and skid the horse to such a sudden stop that it almost reared. When it had settled the last changes of the new moon were taking effect…

Life couldn't possibly get much worse…

Or could it?

Somewhere in the distance a flash of light bloomed over the tops of the trees. A rumble of thunder followed a few seconds later, disturbing the silent scene that had descended on the road. And just to make things all round and unfair, drizzle starts fall, the annoyingly light rain that clung to everything, especially Inuyasha's hair. He did his best to ignore it and carried on glaring at the figure in the road before him "You're blocking my path. Move."

"Not just yet." The stranger answered.

With dim human vision, it was hard to make out details since it was already so dark without the moon overhead for help. But even so, he could still make out the suspicious looking sword thing that rested on his shoulder.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

"Jakotsu."

"Of the Shichinin-tai?" Inuyasha's face wiped of all expression. He felt a tugging on the back of his shirt.

"Inuyasha… what's going on? Who is that creep?" Shippo hissed quietly.

"So you've heard of us?" Jakotsu seemed mildly delighted. "That's nice. I'm assuming you're Inuyasha, right? You're a rather human looking Inu Hanyou… cute, but I liked the ears better when they sit on top of your head…"

"…what…?" Inuyasha stared at him.

"Well I suppose I have to make do with what I have. At least this way you won't struggle so much." Jakotsu scratched his neck thoughtfully. "I would have attacked earlier but you seemed… preoccupied with the stiff in the tail."

"My brother…?"

"Really?!" Jakotsu flashed him a grin. "Not much resemblance is there? But two hotties in one family? Boy, your father must have been some stallion in his time. But I prefer the more callow and provincial type… stiff upper lip types like that Youkai back there don't do it for me."

"Don't do what…?" Shippo ventured. Inuyasha quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. No need to encourage the wacko with the big sword. 

"Anyway, I have my orders to kill you and take that sword there." Jakotsu nodded to Tessaiga at Inuyasha's hip. "But, since I don't have a time limit, I suppose we could have some fun."

"Your funeral." Inuyasha grunted as he unsheathed Tessaiga with his sprained wrist. He didn't look too fearsome anymore. Not with a broken limp arm and soggy black tresses that were beginning to curl in the drizzle. The rusty, thin blade of Tessaiga completed the dreary image… but he wasn't going to get it any better than that. Without his Youkai blood, the youki in the sword was inactive… meaning he'd have to depend on his strategy instead of overall strength. Needless to say, he didn't use much strategy when he fought… it was just bash, bash, bash until something broke. 

"My funeral?" Jakotsu smiled slowly. "Somehow I doubt that."

And needless to say… Jakotsu's image with his multiple bladed, flexible, pivoting Jakotsutou … was slightly more awe inspiring. 

^_^

Kagome gently towelled her hair dry as she slowly made her way back to her room. All she wanted to do was tuck herself into the bed and fall fast asleep. When she slept she could forget about her troubles and her grief… unless she had another nightmare, in which case she dreaded sleep.

"Fushi?"

She turned as she heard Sango's voice calling up the corridor behind her. She frowned when she saw the expecting mother looking into different rooms and calling the name of her eldest. "Fushi, this is no time for games, it's time for bed!"

"He'll never come out if you shout like that." Kagome pointed out as Sango approached.

"I can't find him anywhere. I sat him down for supper, turned my back, and when I turn around again – he's gone!" she huffed angrily. "I'll give that sir a small hell for making his mother run around all night for him."

"Where's Miroku?" Kagome asked.

"Looking along the third floor."

"I'll go look along the ground floor." Kagome offered.

"Are you sure, you look tired?" Sango frowned. Kagome brushed off her concern and headed off without further argument. So much for her sleeping idea…

The first place she checked was the kitchens. But he was hiding in any of the pantries or the cupboards there, so she checked the dining room next. He wasn't hiding behind the drapes in that room either…

"Fushi?" She called softly as she made her way through the halls lit with softly glowing candles. The last place she came to on the ground floor was the throne room… since it was so late at night it was bound to be empty… so there was a good chance Fushi was hiding from his mother in there.

She pushed the door back and stepped into the dark room. "Fushi?" she called again as she moved past the low table at the centre of the hall and headed for the throne and the large bay windows at the opposite end. Nothing moved or twitched… a positive sign that Fushi probably wasn't in there.

"You're mother baked you some cherry mocha…" she called idly, thinking that would stir his stomach enough to bring him out. Nothing stirred but the wind in the trees outside, and she heard nothing beside the patter of rain against the windows.

With a sigh she gave up and padded back towards the doors she'd left ajar.

Suddenly a spark of white blanked out her vision and she stopped dead, blinking rapidly as the light faded and left everything a familiar black and white. A vision?

"_Kagome…"_

She turned in surprise at the sound of her own name. She half wished she hadn't… because she was stunned into complete silence at the sight that greeted her. Her body paralysed and her mouth hung open slightly.

She didn't understand what she was seeing. Inuyasha crouched over her massacred body, retracting a blade out of her chest before dropping it on the ground beside him. His hands were covered in blood… his clothes were covered in blood… he'd somehow smeared it on his face, into the sodden tips of his hair…

And what about her? That _body…_

"_Look what you made me do…"_

He'd closed his eyes in what looked like pain, as his bloodied fingers moved to close hers as well. They'd been staring, lifeless eyes… Kagome was dead…

"But I'm here. I'm alive…" she whispered to no one but herself. She didn't understand what she was seeing… this had never happened… she wasn't dead, how could it have happened…?

Then she noticed that Inuyasha had opened his eyes again and was looking at her calmly, in a way that chilled her slightly. She could almost see the cogs turning in his head…

Then without warning he grabbed the knife beside him and slashed it towards his own hair. Her horror brought her out of her paralysis and she lurched forward with a strangled cry. "No!"

It was almost like he heard her… because he stopped… the blade hovering inches from the tresses he held taut for cutting. She inched forward a foot at a time, as if she might alarm him like some wild animal, even though he couldn't see her. As she got closer she caught more detail of the scene before her. She wanted to wretch…

Where was her hand?!

Oh there it was… under the table over there…

Suddenly his fingers loosened on the hilt of the blade and he passed his blood matted hands over his face as he bowed down further. _"God… what have I become?"_

She looked at him… at the blood swept around the room… the knife fallen from his grip and the hole in her chest… through her best yukata the one she wore that very moment…

This wasn't a past vision… this was a premonition…

__

"Monster… preying monster… what I am… what I was… will be… ever…" he had pushed himself to his feet, hands clenched tightly in his hair as he began pacing. Kagome struggled to come to terms with what she was witnessing.

"No… this can't be happening… he wouldn't…"

"_Under the bed… in the wardrobe…"_

"You said you'd never hurt me!"

"Where pa used to keep his sword…"

"This can't be real… this can't happen…!"

__

"Tessaiga… destroyer… Tenseiga… saviour… save… saviour…"

Kagome pressed a hand to her mouth as she felt tears rise to her eyes. "Inuyasha…"

Almost as soon as his name had tumbled from her lips, her started to laugh… laugh so hard he nearly doubled over with it. "_This is perfect!_"

"How can it be?!" she screamed back. "You've killed me!"

He raced back over to her prone body and pressed a swift kiss to her bloodied forehead. "Kagome, wait for me."

He grabbed the knife that lay beside her body and started to run.

Colour leeched back into her vision and the black blood stains on the walls and floors faded to nothing… the body that had been lying there… _would _be lying there was gone.

She couldn't move, she could barely breathe. She just stood there staring at the spot on the floor where her body would lie…

But strangely enough, she felt an overwhelming sense of joy. Inuyasha was _alive…_

But there was that spiking sense of deep fear within her. Yes, he was alive… and he would come soon to finish her off.

"Kagome?" she jumped at the sound of Bankotsu's voice behind her as he entered the throne room through the door she'd left ajar. Suddenly she didn't feel so joyful. Maybe this was what he killed her for… because she married Bankotsu in his absence…

"Bankotsu…" she whispered… feeling the tears run hot down her cheeks again. "He's alive…" she breathed.

"What?" he frowned, moving forward to hear her better.

"Inuyasha – he's alive!" her voice grew as her terror grew. "He's alive – and he's returning to kill me!"

"But – the body-" Bankotsu started, but stopped as he noticed Kagome beginning to shake.

She couldn't speak anymore. The tears came, tearing at her frame as she struggled to keep the sobs within her. She felt Bankotsu's arms enclose around her comfortingly, and her first instinct was to resist and break free. She wanted Inuyasha's comfort! Not some stranger's!

But Inuyasha wasn't about to comfort her anytime soon… and she needed someone to cry on. A strong shoulder, a strong body… she gave up resisting in a heartbeat and clung to his shirt as the sobs broke free and threatened to consume her…

And throughout all that pain and fear, she still couldn't squash the little segment of her soul that was singing and smiling with joy… dancing around in the little shaft of sunlight that had finally pierced the darkness that had consumed her lately…

Inuyasha was alive!

AN: Next chapter – 'Return Home' I wonder what happens in the next chapter then… hmmm…


	14. Return Home

AN: I wouldn't worry too much about Fushi right now, he's just toddled off like usual, no kidnappings as of yet. The main thing to worry about now is who's the one returning home. Jakotsu or Inuyasha? Or (a slightly harder question) how far will Jakotsu get with Inuyasha before he gets chopped up by a very mad little Hanyou?

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 14

Return Home

Whoever the hell had managed to engineer a sword to move the way Jakotsutou did must have been a pure genius. There must have been at least six actual blades, held together like a chain with a pin through each end of each blade. It made for an impressive display as Jakotsu whipped the blade out of its scabbard, allowing it to arc through the air like a coiled snake, bending and flexing with impressive speed that Inuyasha found hard to follow in the near pitch black of the night. The only light which allowed him glimpses of his opponent were the distant flashes of lightning over the trees, and even then, it wasn't particularly helpful.

"Nice sword." Inuyasha called, somewhat weakly as he slipped out of the saddle and snapped the horse's rear with Tessaiga to get it moving out of the road, along with Shippo on its back.

"Back at you." Jakotsu smiled slowly at the rusty old blade in Inuyasha's hand. He stood poised with his own weapon resting lightly on the ground beside him… the slightest twitch would send it slashing towards Inuyasha.

"It's a little unfair don't you think?" Inuyasha complained just for the hell of it. "You with 'Wonderblade Mark One' and me with this junk, a broken arm, a cracked skull and a sprained wrist."

"You are half Youkai." Jakotsu pointed out.

"Do I look it right now?" Inuyasha scowled, just the way the guy was looking at him put him more on edge than any enemy he'd ever faced.

"You're human, I'm human. That's fair enough, isn't it?" Jakotsu reared his sword back. "Shall we begin?"

Without waiting for Inuyasha's permission he swung his sword forward, sending the long chain of blades screaming towards the currently human Hanyou like a whip. Inuyasha barely dodged the top-most blade slicing his ankle off. No sooner had he dodged that attack but the blade rebounded almost instantly, lancing towards his mid-section.

Desperately he blocked with crummy Tessaiga, and it worked… until Jakotsu's blade curled around him in true snake fashion and bit into his back. He would never have felt such pain in his normal form, and so couldn't help but cry out as he felt a warm liquid ooze into his clothing and down his back.

"Are you sure you're this legendary King everyone's talking about?" Jakotsu gave his sword a light tug, bringing it away from Inuyasha and giving him a chance to recover.

He was toying with him…

Inuyasha fell to one knee as pain shot through his body, he couldn't block these long range attacks… he had to get closer.

"Is this it then?" Jakotsu started forward on the kneeling young man. "I thought you killed the dark miko Tsubaki? She was a little menace wasn't she? She was the one who supposedly killed your father as well, wasn't she? Want to know a secret?"

Inuyasha tried to steady his breathing…

"She killed me too." Jakotsu stopped a metre away from him. "In fact she killed all of the Shichinin-tai. Even Bankotsu…"

"So why do you all still live?" Inuyasha screwed his eyes against the pain.

"Because, Inuyasha…" Jakotsu closed the distance between them and crouched down before him, his weapon braced against his shoulder. "An Inu Hanyou named Lord Inu… your father I presume… came along with a mercy sword and revived us all."

Inuyasha raised his gaze slowly to meet Jakotsu's.

"And he did that for nothing more than to ask us directions." Jakotsu snorted and cocked his head as he examined Inuyasha's face. Suddenly he brushed his hand gently along the Hanyou's cheek. "You look just like him. Same shape of face. Though I reckon he had the stiff's eyes."

Inuyasha couldn't hold the weak act any longer. That little tender touch to the cheek had sent all sorts of disgusting feelings crawling over his skin. Without so much as a warning, he swept Tessaiga out, straight for a clean swipe to the neck. Jakotsu was no amateur swordsman, he saw the clumsy, heavy blow coming and merely ducked. The blade only shaved a few hairs.

"Oh that's not very nice." Jakotsu put a hand to his hair and sighed in annoyance. "I didn't try to cut your hair off did I?"

Inuyasha rose unsteadily to his feet, right hand holding Tessaiga across him in a defensive stance. "I'll cut more than your hair off!"

"Really?" Jakotsu smiled again. "I do prefer it when they put up a fight… so much more satisfying in the long run."

"Sick bastard!"

Jakotsu's sword lashed out again, fastening around Inuyasha's broken arm and biting hard into the flesh. Inuyasha gave a choked grunt as he was suddenly dragged forward by his broken limb, and flung straight into the dirt of the road at Jakotsu's feet.

"Feel free to stay down there." Jakotsu circled around him, pulling his sword back from its grip on the Hanyou's arm. "Now where was I… oh yes! Your father… did you know what he did when we wouldn't tell him where Inaki was?"

"Told you… my life story and went on his way?" That seemed to be the recurring thing his father liked to do around here.

"He killed three of our members. Kyoukotsu, Ginkotsu… Mukotsu…" Jakotsu snapped his sword against Inuyasha's leg, cutting a deep gash. The young man didn't allow himself to cry out, he just fought his way to his feet and backed away with a certain limp. "Three of the most powerful humans ever I think. Of course, they were the most stupid and weakest."

"The stupidest was you, dumb ass." Inuyasha bit out.

"Stupidest isn't a word." Jakotsu corrected before raising a hand to his chin. "No… I think it is… beautifulest isn't a word… I can't remember what Renkotsu no aniki said…"

Inuyasha pressed a hand tightly against the one wound he could reach, on his leg… the blood loss was enormous…

"Anyway, that's beside the point." Jakotsu shrugged off his wonderings and prepared to attack Inuyasha again. "So do you know what we did once he sent him on his way to Inaki?"

"Went for tea at an inn?"

"Well, after that." Jakotsu nodded. "We went to Tsubaki, the dark miko… we told her about the Shikon no Tama that she yearned for, the jewel her rival, a miko named Kikyo, was in possession of. We told her that an Inu Youkai from the island of such demons was now in possession of the jewel."

Inuyasha stiffened. "You told her…"

"We told her where to find him." Jakotsu beamed. "Pure genius of elder brother Bankotsu to do that. Because do you know what happened after that?"

"She took my father… she held him for six months…" Inuyasha said numbly. "I found them… I killed her… and I effectively killed my father too…"

"Really?" Jakotsu looked mildly intrigued. "We thought they both destroyed each other… never mind. Well now we want compensation for our losses and since Lord Inu isn't around to serve it up – we'll just have to take it from you!"

The snake sword lashed out again, curving this time around Inuyasha's chest. He snarled and twisted, breaking free, but not without suffering the damage. "You did this! You were the ones who started this mess! You killed my father!"

"No – _you _killed your father. You just said so yourself!" Jakotsu swept his blade out again, slashing Inuyasha's body repeatedly and several different places at once, and detracted the blade before it could be blocked. "And you are the last piece of the puzzle, little Inuyasha! The miko – your father – and now you! You all must fall under the vengeance of the Shichinin-tai!"

"Stop squawking chicken legged bastard!" Inuyasha shot forward with a new speed and strength born of determination and anger. "You're the one who's going to pay for _my _vengeance!"

Jakotsu barely registered his movement. One minute Inuyasha was charging at him, the next he was gone. And the next moment after that, one arm locked over his shoulder and pressed Tessaiga against his throat, a rusty blade, but still deadly nonetheless.

"Oh look – you came to me. And here I thought I'd have to force you." Jakotsu jeered.

"Say your prayers!" Inuyasha hissed and prepared to make the final cut.

But with incredible speed and hidden strength, Jakotsu suddenly had him pulled clean into the air and right over his shoulder to land hard on the ground at his feet. Jakotsu knelt down above his head and brought Jakotsutou to rest just above Inuyasha's heart. "Now you say yours, pretty boy."

Inuyasha looked around for some miracle escape, but found none. The sun wouldn't rise for many more hours, and there was no one nearby who could come to his rescue. The sword pressed against his chest prevented any movement, but he knew he wasn't going to die anytime soon… Jakotsu didn't seem the type who would end it quickly.

"Look at you." Jakotsu said smoothly, getting to his feet and moving around Inuyasha, but keeping the folded up blade of Jakotsutou against his heart. "You're bleeding to death in the middle of some unknown dirt track in the middle of nowhere. Miles from any town. Miles from anyone living… and even more miles from your friends and home…"

"You can't kill me."

"But my sword is right above your weak human heart."

"I need to live…" Inuyasha panted, his right arm trembled with cold whilst his right remained wet, limp and unresponsive as ever. "I need to help them…"

"Oh you'll live. For a while longer at least." Jakotsu grinned and reached down to lift Inuyasha by the nape. "You were too beautiful for this world you know."

"You weird sicko…" Inuyasha managed to twist away, only to fall back to the ground with a thud, it hurt more than he let on. 

Jakotsu spied Tessaiga resting loosely in Inuyasha's hand. "I think I'll take this, just to be safe." He wrenched the blade from his grip and pressed a finger to Inuyasha's lips as he started to protest and move. "Hush! It's ok, I just don't want there to be any unexpected surprises while we play."

Inuyasha shuddered, completely revolted by all the thoughts probably running through Jakotsu's mind. He needed help… an accomplice… some sort of distraction. But once again all thoughts of miraculous saviours were thrown back to thoughts of disgust and anger as Jakotsu's hand trailed from his lips down his body. "Not bad for a Hanyou… it's better as a human… the blood runs less thickly from the wounds. The dizziness setting in yet?"

It had set in five hours ago, what was he talking about? Lethargy was just about setting in though… Inuyasha had one ace left up his sleeve, but it wouldn't work… Jakotsu was too skilled and experienced to allow for it to work. Inuyasha just needed one distraction…

"Hey!" 

Jakotsu turned in mild surprise at the child's voice behind them. "What the-"

A sudden explosion a few metres away nearly bowled the Shichinin-tai warrior over. He turned and started to stand, pulling his sword away from Inuyasha as he prepared to face the new attacker… he'd underestimated Inuyasha's ability to function.

Now!

Inuyasha rolled onto his stomach, out of sight behind Jakotsu's back grasped the hilt of Toukijin, the sword he'd wrapped up tightly with spare material so that it barely resembled a blade just to look at it. Almost as soon as he held the hilt fast in his fist and pulled it from where it had been tied to his back… the dark power and unsurpassable evil seemed to soak into his arm. It was so strong that even Jakotsu felt the aura of the active weapon and started to turn in curiosity… but too slow… too late.

Inuyasha rolled to his feet and in one smooth motion, had thrust the blade right through the zombie's chest and lacerated the cloth that had wrapped it tightly. Jakotsu didn't seem to notice at first… he looked down and blinked at the weapon protruding from his chest… looked back up at Inuyasha with that same slightly confused expression before tilting back and falling down to the road.

"Where did… that…" he managed to mumble his last few words before his life leeched away completely and he sagged slowly. Inuyasha watched with grim fascination as the flesh seemed to turn to dust and dissolve away like sand… soon there was nothing left on the ground but one perfect white skeleton, odd assortments of clothing and armour and Toukijin.

It had all gone very quiet all of a sudden and Inuyasha blinked with dim awareness as he turned his gaze on Shippo who hovered in the ferns at the roadside. He'd been the one to provide the distraction that had saved him.

"Thanks…" Inuyasha breathed before crumpling into an organised heap in the middle of the road. The lost blood finally allowing to take affect on him.

^_^

"But you saw the body, how can he still be alive?" Bankotsu reasoned with his new wife, late into the night of their wedding night. 

"I don't know what's going on!" Kagome fretted as she paced the length of their royal suite. "All I know is that what I saw couldn't have been a vision of a past event! How could it? Inuyasha has never killed me before! The only other explanation is that it was a premonition! He's alive and he's going to come back and kill me!"

"I think we need to calm down and go over what we know now." Bankotsu said calmingly. But he was beginning to feel on the edgy side himself… he needed to calm this woman down… and curse her and her visions. "What exactly did you see in this 'premonition'?"

"It was in the throne room." Kagome stopped pacing and stared off into space with a slightly horrified look on her face as she remembered the details. "He – I – he was kneeling over me – he'd stabbed me with a dagger. But there was blood everywhere… like he'd dragged it out… like he'd drawn the blood out of me and splashed it all over the room…"

Bankotsu knew exactly what she'd seen. It wasn't a premonition… she'd just witnessed the little illusion that Renkotsu had cast in order to drive Inuyasha just off the brink of sanity and off the island completely. But just as long as she didn't realise it was all an illusional trick… maybe he could work around this… convince her it was just a hallucination.

"You're under a lot of stress, Kagome dear." He stood and managed to bring up a sympathetic and worried look for her. "Perhaps the grief is giving you hallucinations again – like at the wedding."

"No – this was too real – it was definitely like a vision – but I was seeing events of the future." She clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white, she started to pace again. "He's alive somewhere… and he's going to come back… some time soon and he'll still be insane and he'll still want to hurt me…"

"I really think it was just an hallucination." Jakotsu would have finished the King off by now and was probably on his way back with Tessaiga in hand as they spoke. "He isn't alive, Kagome, he isn't coming back."

She gave him a pained look as she turned in her pacing toward him. "It looked so real… how could it have been a hallucination?"

"Kagome – you saw the body of Inuyasha in that coffin yourself. You know he's dead. We all do. There is no other Hanyou that looks like him on this island – so who else could we have cremated?"

"I don't know…" Kagome frowned and chewed her lip. "But his face… his face was lacerated – what if it wasn't Inuyasha – we don't know for sure!"

"But the ears-"

"His arm!" Kagome suddenly cried as if in realisation. "You said his sword arm had been lost along with Tessaiga out in the ravine – how could it?! The body was missing its left arm – Inuyasha isn't a left handed fighter!"

Bankotsu stared at her in creeping annoyance. "What?"

"Inuyasha uses his right hand when he fights – and the man in that coffin was a left handed fighter – it couldn't have been Inuyasha!" Kagome looked amazed at herself. "I knew there was something odd about it…"

Bankotsu proceeded to slap himself mentally and repeatedly. He'd been such a fool… he'd never seen Inuyasha in action – so he'd never gotten to know what hand he'd used when he fought. But he'd assumed since Inuyasha wrote with his left and hand and ate with his left hand that he _was _of course a left handed person in all areas…

"But he writes with his left-"

"I know!" Kagome nodded quickly. "But he's ambidextrous – one week he'll write with his left and then the next it will be his right. But he _always _fights with his right hand!"

A silence descended on the pair as they both contemplated on the enormity of their new revelations.

"This means…" Kagome said quietly at last. "He's alive… he really is alive…" she smiled a shaky smile of dawning relief and joy… until she swallowed it with dawning fear. "He's still insane though… he's going to kill me."

Bankotsu clenched his jaw before forcing a placating smile and ushered her to the bed. "I don't think we need to jump to conclusions. The future is always uncertain, and mystics and seers and oracles have never been able to successfully tell the future, it changes too much. You won't die, Kagome. I'll make sure of it."

He meant that. He needed Kagome alive. No screwball of an Inu Hanyou was going to mess up his plans now.

"Thank you, Bankotsu." She whispered with a sigh, relaxing slightly for the first time since the vision.

"Just rest now. It's well past the hour of the tiger." He told her, giving her cheek an affectionate stroke, just for show.

She seemed uncertain by the contact but smiled nevertheless and slid down quietly under the covers. "Will you be ok?" she asked, "Where will you sleep?"

"I don't need sleep." Was his breezy reply as he quietly left the room.

^_^

"Inuyasha!" Shippo frantically darted over the human's chest, shaking any available jiggling body part. "Wake up – don't fall asleep – you're losing too much blood."

"Shh…" Inuyasha batted at the annoyance brat that kept disturbing his nap. He just wanted to curl up and fall asleep. His body was tired and damaged… it repaired itself when he slept, so sleep was the natural conclusion.

"Idiot!" Shippo bashed his small fists against the Inuyasha's face. "If you fall asleep you won't wake up!"

"It comes from beneath…" Inuyasha mumbled with semi-consciousness.

"What?" Shippo paused to listen.

"The madness… from below…" Inuyasha vaguely pointed downwards. Shippo looked where he was pointing but saw only a muddy dirt track road.

"Just stay awake till morning you stupid Hanyou." He shivered slightly against the cold drizzle that was still falling… in the distance the thunder storm had died down, and they were now completely without any kind of light. Only Shippo's eyes could make out the shape of the King below him… but even then, without the moon for some small semblance of light, things weren't very clear.

"Morning always comes…" Inuyasha yawned.

"Yeah, and with it your blood comes too." Shippo quavered, huddling beside Inuyasha's neck, half to stay warm and half to keep on talking into his ear. "I mean, off all the nights to turn human – yours is the new moon? You're like a… a… reversed werewolf."

"Not reversed… when the full moon rises… my human blood usually fails… or it used to…" Inuyasha frowned in thought. "Where's Tessaiga?"

"It's lying beside the skeleton guy." Shippo told him. "You can get it in the morning."

Inuyasha grunted and started to fall back to sleep. Shippo began to panic and quickly kicked his neck. "You want to go back to your island, yeah?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, in the morning, when the sun's up and we can see again, and when you've healed and everything, we can go swim to it."

"Stop talking about the morning." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Ok." Shippo chirped. "Let's talk about… um… Kagome! Yeah – tell me what she's like again."

"She's like… dead…"

"Ah…" Shippo frowned. "But you can save her right – you got your brother's sword right?"

Inuyasha sighed angrily. "No… She's dead for good… I got the wrong sword… the mercy one's been broken."

"Clumsy bastard…" Shippo grouched. 

"Right. Sesshomaru the clumsy bastard…" Inuyasha gave a harsh laugh. "He was always the perfect one… Daddy's favourite."

"I thought you said that you were your father's favourite?"

"Oh yeah…"

The conversation began to lag, and Inuyasha's head began to loll.

"Hey!" Shippo started suddenly, making Inuyasha snort. "Will you miss her?"

"Who?"

"Your friend. Kagome."

"No…" Inuyasha shook his head slightly. Shippo watched him with a degree of surprise. "I won't miss her… because I'm going to die…"

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Ever heard of the catapult theory?" Formerly known as the rubber band theory, but of course, rubber bands didn't exist in such a time, so it had to be renamed. 

"Let's not talk about dying." Shippo said slowly. "So… what's your favourite colour?"

"Red."

"Favourite time of Day?"

"Sunrise…"

Wow, this dying thing was like a truth serum. "And what's your favourite food."

"Mocha…"

"Uh-huh and…" Shippo huddled closer. "Do you love this girl?"

"What girl?"

"Kagome. Do you love her?"

"You always talk about her don't you." Inuyasha nudged him. "Maybe _you're _in love with her!"

It was going to be a long night.

^_^

__

Earthquakes… small intermittent ones that kept shaking the foundations of the building. Kagome staggered along the corridors of the dank palace as she heard creaking and snapping in the building above her head. She didn't know what was breaking… but she didn't like the sound of it very much… Hopefully nothing too important was caving in…

The quaking stopped and the corridor was once more steady and stable. She started to hurry onwards, still trying to find her way out of the god forsaken hell hole.

"Kagome!"

She stopped short and turned ever so slowly, expecting to find him standing behind her somewhere… he wasn't there.

Ah – this was where she turned around and found him in front of her instead! She turned slowly back the way she was facing… but found no one there either. She looked around her in confusion, wondering where he was after all…

She started to run on – just when the big one hit. The small quakes had been leading up to it… but now the real deal struck. Two resounding booms could be heard in the distance as the corridor suddenly started to throw itself side to side, the walls rattling and splintering as the ceiling started to dip and cave in.

"No!" she screamed as she found herself thrown against the floor on her back and looked up to see a chunk of the timbre holding the ceiling up come crashing down on top of her.

But then time froze.

The corridor stopped shaking, the walls held fast and the ceiling, whilst still falling, had stopped mid-air, a few feet above her head. She stared, breathing hard and trembling in panic and fear. Maybe this was what it was like before you died… people said that time stopped and your life flashed before your eyes. She expected the life story any time now… or at least the ceiling to continue falling on her head… neither happened.

She heard his footsteps behind her… and she froze, like everything else around her seemed to have done. Maybe if she kept very still, he wouldn't notice her lying there…

No such look.

He stopped, standing just beside her head and smiled down at her with one ear cocked up like an inquisitive dog…That smile was so good-natured and pleasant, it was so hard to believe that in these dreams they were just the same as malicious smirks.

Dreams… oh yes, this was definitely a dream.

"Nice day." He squatted beside her and flicked one stray strand of hair out of his eyes. Why had he done that to himself… cut it short and wear it like some samurai…?

But in a way he was, by birthright, a samurai… considering his mother had been of that particular class of warriors.

"Is it…?" she breathed, glancing warily from his warm face to the ceiling above that still loomed like it was about to start falling again.

"What does this mean?" Something materialised into his hand and he held it above her nose for her to see. It was a note… scribbled, old and torn in several places. The writing was still visible… but it wasn't in any language she knew.

"I don't… I don't recognise those characters…" she glanced at him, and his still smiling face. For some reason… this dream seemed out of odds with the others. "What is it?"

He just smiled and the note evaporated as his hand moved back. "They'll take you. And they'll ask you what it means. You have to be ready for them. You have to know."

"Know what?" She whispered.

"Where we are."

"The… the Northern Palace… Sesshomaru's palace?"

Inuyasha shook his head slowly, his smile widening slightly. "You have to know what it means."

"The note?"

He nodded slowly, only once.

"But I don't understand…"

"Then you'll die." He said simply and walked away.

The roof resumed its fall and she was crushed instantly.

Kagome's eyes opened slowly as she woke from the nightmare, her eyes at once staring at the canopy above her bed, waiting for it to fall in on her too… but no such thing happened.

Outside she could see the sky was already beginning to lighten. The sun was shining strong through a cloudless sky… the storm the previous night seemed to have drained all the bad weather due for a while now. The birds were starting up their dawn chorus and all seemed right in the world …

He was alive… and he was coming for her soon…

^_^

The broken arm had healed in a snap, as it were. The sprained wrist was now only a memory, and the previous wounds sustained from Jakotsu's sword were now as thin as paper cuts.

But it still hurt like hell to swim through salty waters with a thousand cuts still fresh over your body like that.

And it certainly didn't help when he started developing an old familiar headache as he got about half way to the island. He ignored the dull throbbing pain in his head and continued on relentlessly, one arm pushing through the water after the other…

No, not the doggy paddle.

Shippo had probably saved his miserable little life last night. And whilst he had been annoying and intrusive for hours on end, he'd probably been the one thing that had kept him alive through all his human weakness… he'd lost a lot of blood, and while he still didn't feel a hundred percent right now, he was alive, and that was more than what he could say for Jakotsu and Kagome.

Had they dealt with her body by now? Was she just a pile of ash or a body buried a few feet under?

Thankfully by the time they reached the beach of the island, the headache was beginning to wear off, and Inuyasha pealed off Shippo who had plastered himself to Inuyasha's head. "You can get off now."

"That was a long way…" Shippo breathed, still trembling slightly as he looked out over the water again, unable to make out the coast of the main land anymore.

"Has to be. Or humans find us. And then it would be work, work, work, kill, kill, kill." Inuyasha shook his hair out and glanced over his clothes. That long swim still hadn't removed the set in blood stains in his now fairly dirty white underclothes. "Maybe I should have mugged someone after all…"

"So which way's your palace, highness?" Shippo scrambled up onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Um…" he waved an arm around with a vague sound until he eventually pointed in the rough direction of south. "That way I think."

"Let's go then!" Shippo had never been one to pass up an opportunity for quality royal grub. This palace or whatever was probably full of delicious morsels.

They started their way through the trees, the branches over head giving them relief shade from the sun overhead. They were just passing a small brook when suddenly Inuyasha laughed, more to himself.

"What's so funny?" Shippo asked with a frown.

"They were so right…" Inuyasha smirked, kicking aside a fallen log that was on their path. "The perfect scenario…"

"Oh…Kay…" Shippo frowned even more and shifted ever so slightly away from Inuyasha… a difficult task when he was sat on such person's shoulder.

"Wait!" Inuyasha stopped suddenly and held up his hand for silence. Shippo listened but heard nothing.

"What?"

"Don't you hear that?" Inuyasha asked.

Shippo still heard nothing, "I hear nothing."

"Bleeding wretches… you're too young that's why." Inuyasha shrugged and moved on. Shippo was staring at him with unease.

"Are you ok, Inuyasha?"

"Oh I'm fine… I'm better than ok…" Inuyasha smiled slowly as he continued on his way through the trees. "Ah-hah – there we go!"

He pushed past a large bush full of small blue berries and stepped out of the trees all together. Shippo forgot his concern over the Hanyou as his eyes trailed across the downward sloping grassy plateau… past the two extensive lakes and fixed on the large, ever so white and shiny palace sitting against the trees on the other side of the basin.

"That's all yours?" Shippo breathed. "Wow."

"Right." Inuyasha suddenly picked Shippo off his shoulder by the tail and dropped him on the ground. "Now you go play with that Fushi shaped person over there and I'll go deal with grown-up business."

Shippo shrugged mildly. "As long as I can dig grub later, right?"

"Dig as much as you want. The gardeners fill in the holes… stupid Kiroi…" Inuyasha muttered as he started down the slope towards the palace.

A short distance away Fushi stopped playing with his dice in the dish and looked up past his group of friends to see Inuyasha striding back towards his home as if he owned the place still. He looked knowingly at his friends. "See? I told you he'd be back."

AN: You all seemed to think Fushi had been taken by Renkotsu… sorry, but not this time. He just went walkies again. Next chapter – 'A Dream Come True'


	15. A Dream Come True

AN: Since quite a few people suddenly asked how long this story will be – it should be around 21 chapters long altogether. I worked out the ending and I thought, yep, that'll do me.

And also, since another person asked, Ambidextrous just means you can fluently work with both hands, like write neatly with both hands without being _just _left handed or right handed, instead you're both. Something a friend of mine at school can do, and frequently shows off about it too. 

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 15

A Dream Come True

The moment he stepped through the gates of the palace, pure hell and chaos erupted. It wasn't every day a supposedly dead King came into view though…

The guards at the gates just stared blankly as Inuyasha passed through, obviously trying to determine, who or just what he was, because their old King was dead and lying in an urn in the secret garden. Workers and soldiers drew to a stop around the courtyard to watch him as he moved towards the palace doors, making no move to stop him or ask questions.

What the hell was going on?

Inuyasha had just reached the main doors themselves when some brainspark of a guard stepped up, sword levelled to Inuyasha's chest. "Halt! State your name and status!"

"Lord Inuyasha. King of you and this country."

"Our King is dead." The guard pointed out with narrowed eyes, around them, everyone silently listened, trying to figure out just who he was… he sure _looked _like Inuyasha…

"Really?" Inuyasha frowned a moment before that tick went off, somewhere deep in his brain again. This guy was annoying him, he didn't want to stand around outside all day, he wanted a bath already? So he solved the problem.

He grabbed the sword in the man's hand and knocked him clean flying out of the way with a mere brush of his arm. 

This was precisely the point when chaos broke loose. Obviously whoever had just walked up to the castle was some kind of shape shifter, or a vengeful spirit of their former King. Whatever it was, it had to be stopped. 

A large uproar started as soldiers and guards raced towards Inuyasha, weapons at the ready to subdue him. Inuyasha flicked a somewhat uninterested glance up at the fifteen or so men coming at him with swords. Too easy.

Five powerful sweeps of the blunted sword he'd taken from the first guard, an uppercut, a kick, and two successful blows of the elbows, and all fifteen were unconscious in a matter of seconds.

"You dream you can defeat _me_…?" Inuyasha sneered and threw the sword down on top of the heap. "Nighty night."

He threw open the doors to the palace and swept inside. Almost at once, the headache from before came back, stronger than ever. It staggered him slightly and he had to pause to press his fists against his head with a groan. Around him, workers had done pretty much the same thing as everyone else outside the palace. They just stared in dumb surprise.

"Isn't he dead…?" one maid ventured slowly.

Bankotsu chose that moment to arrive in the entrance hall, evidently having heard the commotion outside already. He stopped short when he saw the bloody and bedraggled looking Hanyou standing just inside the doors. If he was surprised, he didn't show it. He just looked slightly irritated as he folded his arms slowly and glowered at Inuyasha. "So you didn't die after all."

Inuyasha raised his gaze to meet Bankotsu's steadily, a slow snarl working its way into his throat. "You…"

Hurried footsteps drew nearer from outside the palace, and a flood of soldiers entered, saw Inuyasha, and subdued him at once. They grabbed his arms, his hair, his clothing, or anything they could get their hands on, and forced him to his knees. In truth, they didn't need so many people… Inuyasha could barely stand anyway now that the headache was beginning to blot his vision with white spots.

"Usurper…" Inuyasha hissed despite the fact that he was fighting to stay conscious. The position the guards held him in was only increasing his dizziness.

"Still insane it appears." Bankotsu moved forward a few steps with a look of complete pity. "Such a shame."

Kagome appeared.

Sango arrived alongside her at the top of the stairs. They both pinpointed the focus of the scene below, and Sango gasped… Kagome just stared. Their arrival didn't escape Bankotsu's notice and he glanced towards the two human women and a slow, secretive smile graced his expression. "Kagome dear?"

She jerked her startled gaze to her husband before jerking it back to a rather hazy looking Inuyasha. Her mouth worked for a moment, but no words came out. But soon her feet were flying without her knowledge and she was racing towards Inuyasha, something in her chest was squeezing almost painfully, and it wasn't from fear… "Inuyasha!"

Bankotsu's arm snapped out to prevent her from reaching the subdued King. "He's dangerous…" he warned her quietly.

She looked up at his pleadingly, but realised that he was only telling the truth. She looked back at Inuyasha and drank in the sight of him at last… he was alive – he was breathing, in short pants more like, but still breathing. He looked like he'd seen better times… but he was still alive and kneeling a few metres away. She had just_ known _he was alive.

She just wanted to hold him… "Inuyasha… you're ok…"

Ever so slowly his head lifted just enough to see her. His gaze unfocused and clouded with pain, but sharp with recognition. But he didn't move or say anything more. He seemed paralysed.

"Inuyasha. I think we all need to get reacquainted." Bankotsu did well in hiding the slightly smug tone in his voice. "Allow me to introduce, my wife, Kagome."

For once Kagome felt like hitting her husband. What kind of greeting was that to throw in his face?! Didn't he understand how dangerously jealous Inuyasha could get… and at a time like this of all things…

Inuyasha hadn't taken his eyes off Kagome, he hadn't given any indication he'd heard Bankotsu's introduction either. But ever so slightly his eyes narrowed and his body strained against the hold the guards had on him. "You… are… **_dead!_**" he yelled the last word out in a harsh sound, making poor Kagome start and flinch back.

Bankotsu unsheathed his sword and started towards Inuyasha who ignored him in his valiant attempts to throw off the many hands on his person. Kagome saw this and cried out. "Don't hurt him!"

Bankotsu ignored her too, and turned the sword, to bash the hilt against Inuyasha's head. Already the headache seemed too much of the Hanyou, and when the hilt connected, he slumped, limp and peacefully unconscious, much to everyone's relief…

Except Kagome's.

"He's dangerous and insane." Bankotsu announced, sheathing his enormous sword in the scabbard across his back again like it was as light as a normal staff. "Call the monk Miroku, have him detained in a spell bound prison, for his own safety and for ours as well."

He fell into a contemplative silence as the guards started dragging Inuyasha's body. He looked back at Kagome who was frozen stiff in shock. "We'll do all the best we can for him… but…" he let the warning hang in the air with a sad smile. He turned without her and headed after the men, calling to them. "Don't underestimate the will of madness. Make sure that prison is secure!"

Kagome stared after them, still in dumb shock, much like everyone else. A light hand touched her shoulder and she pulled herself out of her stupor to turn to Sango.

"Kagome…?" Sango frowned uncertainly. "What am I seeing here?"

"He's not dead." Kagome whispered, almost to herself. "I knew he'd be back…"

Sango stared at her a moment. "You know what this means… don't you…?"

"He knows I married Bankotsu… he's going to go on an insane jealousy trip and kill me?"

"Actually… I was thinking he'd now have to kill Bankotsu and marry you if he ever wanted to be King again." Sango bit her lip.

"Somehow… I don't think that's on the top of his priority list right now." Kagome stared off into space.

Sango stared as well, as if looking at the same thing, before shaking herself and gently taking Kagome's hand. "Let's go find Miroku, shall we?"

^_^

There was a faint stuffy smell of healing herbs present in the room when he woke up. He sniffed before he even opened his eyes and grimaced. Smelt like puke…

Finally he stirred and opened his eyes, and found himself staring at the high ceiling of his bedroom. He knew it was his room from the stupid smiley face he'd drawn up there on the tiles when he was five. But there was something different now…

He sat up quickly and looked around. His furniture was gone, all the objects and possessions he'd had were gone and now, the only thing left in the room was four barred walls that enclosed around him in a box, stretching from ceiling to floor…

"Like Dad's cage…" Inuyasha snickered when he realised they were made out of wood. Bars of wood would never hold him. Immediately he walked over to one side of the cage and tugged on two of the bars, expecting them to come free at once or at least shatter.

They didn't budge.

He tried again. But they were like wrought iron to a human… he still couldn't move them. He started getting frustrated, and hammered angrily at the bars, anger coursing through him… how dare they cage him like an animal! How dare they take his strength away!

His gaze fell on a slip of paper pasted around the bottom of each bar in the cage. His anger evaporated and he slapped his forehead with a laugh. Of course! Ofuda charms. That was ok then. Not one demon alive could break through charms like these laid by Miroku.

"Treacherous little ass…" Inuyasha suddenly darkened considerably. "Seal me in a cage like a prisoner… like a pet fish!"

He growled and started prowling back and forth around the cage like a tiger, assessing his old room critically. They'd mended the walls he'd broken, replaced the window and replaced the wooden floorboards that he'd wrecked.

He also noted that ofuda charms had been placed along the floor of the cage, as well as along the roof. There was only six sides to this box and he was getting out no way. 

Light spilled in through the windows, casting around the empty room with that happy, summer feeling. Inuyasha pulled a face and slapped the bars one last time just for good measure. But eventually he grew bored, and, having nothing else to do around there, rested against the bars closest to the window and closed his eyes, basking in the direct light cast through the opening.

He was pondering on an age old question when he heard the door slide open quietly behind him. What would _Miroku_ do if he were pregnant…?

The footsteps stopped just beyond the cage and he smiled slowly as a familiar scent seemed to enter the room like an aura. "Lavender… the sweet smell of…" he turned slowly to lean back against the bars again. "Perfection."

Kagome met his gaze steadily with all the calm and grace of a fearless woman. A pity he noticed her hands were trembling ever so slightly where they were clasped in front of her. 

"You know I think there's a reason as to why I'm here…" Inuyasha cocked his head and pushed away from the bars, moving towards her. "Damned if I can remember it though."

"You were gone for a month… where?" Kagome asked softly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he smirked.

"Yes, I would like to know ." she nodded with a determined look.

"Don't know, don't care." He shrugged and returned the pacing again.

Kagome cast a sideways look at the two sword he'd been relieved off that were now leaning against the wall. Tessaiga… and Toukijin. She shivered as she remembered her dream. Inuyasha seemed to notice her shiver and turned back to face her. "You found your brother."

Inuyasha laughed. "That's a funny story. I should tell it to you some time."

"Tell me now."

"He kicked the living shit out of me. And then this gay guy took advantage of me. I turned human twice and nearly died both times I seem to recall, and this annoying tick thing has returned to my brain and I'm as amazingly mad as ever." He grinned. "My life's fucked up. So how's yours? I hear you've been having it off with local Kings… I always knew you were that type Kagome. It's always the quiet ones… you naughty thing…"

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "We all thought you were dead…"

"Same here." He smiled and moved over to grip the bars before her. "And yet here I am, alive, my heart beating… and here you are… alive and your heart beating a hundred times a minute. Nervous? Or are you afraid? Or is it something else?"

Kagome's fingers tightened together in anxiety. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Apparently." He watched her face intently. "In which case you're probably just incredibly aroused by the mere sight and presence of me. Isn't Bankotsu doing enough for you? You want a little extra on the side maybe?"

Kagome glared at him. "Knock that off – it isn't funny!"

"You're only getting defensive because I struck the truth now haven't I?" he snickered. "You want me. You always have wanted me, even though you've had so many good little boys offering for your hand. And you know why? Because deep down all women want the bad boy."

"You're not a bad boy." She stumbled over her words.

"No I'm just an ass, I know." He shrugged and rolled his eyes, turning away to pace the prison again. "All that ever spews from my mouth is insulting and garbage. I treat you like shit and you still crawl back to me. That's what I like about you, Kagome… you're totally boneless."

"That's what happens when you love a moron." Kagome told him quietly.

"Oh!" Inuyasha clapped his hands over his ears and collapsed to the floor. "You said it! You said that word! Oh the pain of my defiled ears from the purity of the word 'love'!"

He wasn't crying… he was laughing.

"Don't mock my feelings!" Kagome hovered between staying where she was and throwing open the door of the cage to choke him.

"Why, because you'll start crying again?" He snorted and gave up on his pain act. He looked up at her from his position on the floor and smirked. "Go ahead. You look good when you cry. Good enough to eat… mm… gives you a nice tangy salt flavour."

"Why do you do this?" she frowned at him. "Why do you taunt only me?"

"I don't see anyone else in here to taunt, do you?" he looked to the side. "Well, apart from that guy over there, but he isn't real so I can't really upset him."

Kagome followed his gaze but saw nothing. "You don't harass Sango… or any other girl… and you ignore the men. Why do you get a kick out of trying to scare me?"

He pressed a hand to his mouth to squash a laugh, before composing himself and dropping the hand to sit up. "Because you're so responsive, girl. Sango is too smart to let herself get upset over words and actions. Miroku wouldn't feel a thing – but you – all squishy and human inside. Push just the right buttons and you get all kinds of reactions. Am I right, girl?"

"So why all of a sudden are you calling me 'girl' instead of 'Kagome' like you did a minute ago?" Kagome remained determined to ignore his barbs. "Your managing to distance yourself from me all of a sudden because I'm unnerving you, aren't I? Really the only anxious one here is you. You're scared… of me… of your feelings for me… you only taunt me because I'm the only one who interests you. Am I right, boy?"

He stared at her before narrowing his eyes. "Your mind tricks won't work on me, witch. You can try and confuse me all you like but you are _nothing_. You flatter yourself thinking I like you. You want to hear the truth about how I feel about you? How I used to feel about you?"

Would his madness speak with honesty? She had no idea… she wasn't sure she wanted to know his feelings…

"I liked you. I liked you a lot." He rose slowly to his feet to glare down at her. "Not quite love, but nearly at that level."

"There is no level to love." Kagome said, a little waver in her voice as she spoke. "It's not a measurement, it's just a feeling. Like hate is a feeling. Like companionship is a feeling. Love is a different feeling from those."

"And you believe in love?" he smirked. "You're stupid."

"Why?" she snapped.

"Because believing in love is being a hypocrite." He stared her down, almost as if waiting for her to drop her gaze… to submit. "People like you get all starry eyed when they think they find their one true love, and demand them to say and show how much we all 'love' each other. It's like it's a condition. Your true love would have to say 'I love you' like a password or… or some kind of… something… and only then do you think the relationship is whole. It's like you think love _is _some highly sought after level of ascension or higher emotion when in fact it's just liking someone in friendship and in the romantic way."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him.

"In which case maybe it's possible to be in love with six people at once." He leaned against the bars. "Or never at all. But then your type goes around exclaiming that you 'love' this dress, that you 'love' this particularly food with this particular sauce. You love sunsets and sunshine and little fluffy bunnies that hop around in fields all day. Would you want to 'make love' to a bunny because you love it?"

"Don't be disgusting." Kagome looked to the side, wishing she'd never come.

"Oh… the truth hurts…" he gripped his hand over his heart. "Tears you up just here, doesn't it?" he jabbed a thumb at his own head. "Tears me up in here too."

"This isn't the truth." Kagome looked up at him defiantly. "You're not yourself right now, what you say could be the opposite of how you normally feel."

"You'd like to believe that. But I'm the same person as I ever was… I just feel a little… loose-lipped right now." He laughed quietly. "You may not like what I say, but you listen because you do so love me very much… and you set yourself up for a knock down every time."

"What?"

His hand flashed out of the bars and grabbed the sash about her waist. She squeaked as she was suddenly tugged forward and pulled against the bars of the cage, finding herself paralleled to his body.

"Remember, I did this last time." He said calmly as she struggled to push away, using the bars as leverage. "You're so stupid. I'm obviously trying to hurt you, and you step willingly into my range like a moth to the flame every time."

Kagome stopped struggling and looked up at him. "You won't upset me."

"But you're shaking." They both looked down at her hands that held the bars tightly.

"True… because I missed breakfast downstairs and I feel a little faint. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Downstairs…?" Inuyasha suddenly frowned and he released her sash. Kagome stepped back slowly, moving out of range of his arms this time. "What else is downstairs, Kagome?"

"Uh…" she looked at him strangely. "The throne room…"

"What else?"

"The kitchens… the pantries, the servants quarters, the dining hall, the meeting room, the dungeons, the-"

"The cellars…" his gaze fell to the floor like he was looking through it. "Yes… that's where it's coming from."

"What…?" she frowned. "What's coming from where?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Kagome sighed. "I feel if I continue we'll just have the same conversation all over again."

He regarded her in an eerie silence until suddenly his gaze snapped to the door, moments before it slid open and Bankotsu stepped in. "Kagome, what are you doing in here?" he asked at once with a frown.

"Just… talking."

"She's planning to have an extra-marital affair with me." Inuyasha smirked at Bankotsu. "Isn't that exciting?"

"Thrilling." Bankotsu glanced at Kagome. "You should leave now."

Kagome seemed to hesitate before obeying and moving to the door with one last backwards glance at Inuyasha. He grinned at her. "Take care, Kagome."

Bankotsu didn't speak again until Kagome had closed the door after her. He stepped closer to the cage and smiled slowly. "How much do you know?"

"I know everything. I see everything. I talked to a woodsprite. She endowed all the knowledge of the universe on me – I know how the stars were born, I know that the world is actually rectangular, not square, and I know why your fingers always prune in the bath."

"All fascinating facts, I'm sure, but don't play games with me, Inuyasha." Bankotsu started to circle the cage. "I had Renkotsu lower the intensity of the talisman which is offsetting your mind. You're no longer of the raving, violent lunatic variety. More on the laid-back, what do I care side of insane now. You can understand me perfectly and answer me perfectly. So don't give me crap about the stars."

"What crap do you want then?" Inuyasha asked mildly, flopping onto the floor to watch the window again. 

"Whatever crap you know about the Shichinin-tai."

"I know there are only three of you alive. Tops." Inuyasha squinted his eyes and identified patterns in the leaves of the trees.

"Wrong. Four."

"Wrong. Three." Inuyasha flashed him a brief look. "You, Suikotsu and the Renkotsu you just mentioned."

"And Jakotsu."

"Jakotsu is nothing more than a pile of dust and bones now." Inuyasha smiled slowly as he watched the window again. "I have to give it to him, he nearly delayed me coming back. But now he's about as dead as Kagome."

"Who isn't very dead." Bankotsu tapped one of the bars with a tight expression.

"Yeah, I noticed that. Strange…" Inuyasha shrugged it off. "I also know that there is _something _in this palace that is making me insane."

"Maybe because I just told you."

"I know where it is." Inuyasha smiled slowly. "The cellars, right?"

Bankotsu smirked back. "Perceptive little bastard aren't you?" he folded his arms. "Well, pity we'll probably kill you by nightfall. We'll make it look like suicide so Kagome won't panic."

Inuyasha grunted indifferently and turned his gaze to his hands, examining them as though he'd never seen them before.

"By the way, how do you feel about Kagome's marriage?" Bankotsu carried on smirking.

Inuyasha glanced at him disdainfully. "I suppose she could do better. I'm a little disappointed."

That brought a laugh from the Shichinin-tai's leader. "Disappointed? Hey, maybe I'll get Renkotsu to lift that curse just before we kill you so we can see your _real _reaction. That should be fun… you're a little too out of it to really understand, aren't you?"

Inuyasha shrugged again.

Bankotsu made his way to the door. "I'll see you again tonight… and slit your wrists and throat with your own claws."

"That's nice." Inuyasha called after him breezily and waited until the door was closed.

When he was confident that Bankotsu was definitely gone he shuffled over to the bars and ran his finger along one of the ofuda charms wrapped around a bar. There was no way he was going to peel it off with his own fair paws and so began looking around for something that wasn't made out of his body.

There was hardly anything in that room… apart from the two swords and they were out of reach. He sat pondering for a while, rapping his claws against the wooden floor as he tried to come up with some amazing genius plan.

Maybe if he could get a beaver to come along and chew the bars…?

His gaze fell to the floor and he counted the number of boards beneath him in the cage, and the number of ofuda pasted onto each. Sixteen boards… fourteen charms. He stopped and recounted, before realising that two of the boards weren't spellbound. There was no way he would fit through the gap, should he shatter them both… but the pieces of the board would be useful.

With that positive thought he slammed a hand through one of the unprotected boards and felt it shatter around his fist. He picked up one of the more pointy, large splinters of wood and started picking at the ofuda charms on the bars with its tip. As long as it wasn't actually Inuyasha who was touching the charms, they would come off easily. The wood had no youki… so ripping it off like a human would was a piece of cake.

Two bars was all he needed, and when the charms came off, he didn't waste any time knocking them out of the way and stepping out of the cage.

"Ah… freedom!" he sighed deeply and immediately went over to the wall to pick up the two swords. He half thought about leaving Toukijin… it wasn't a very useful sword compared to Tessaiga because of its evil properties. But it looked cool so he took it with him anyway.

It was a simple case of hopping out the window, off the balcony and over the palace wall without anyone seeing him. He had no idea where he was going, but he kept going until the headache had passed and he stood at the edge of the ravine that practically split the island into two halves. The one he was supposed to have fallen in and died. He was as far away from the palace as possible whilst still being in the Southern lands.

His mind gained clarity, and returned to normal functioning levels slowly but surely. And with it, good old anger returned with viscous realisation.

The nearest village with half a mile away from the gorge, and even several villages there heard the scream and looked up.

**__**

"I can't believe she married that asshole!!"

This scream was shortly followed by a loud boom that shook the ground like an earthquake.

There were now two small canyons running parallel to one another down the middle of the island. A permanent feature that no one ever understood how it came to be there. 

^_^

"Hey Captain."

Mikato raised his eyes to look across the small throne room to where the King sat on the throne. King Suikotsu. What a joke. "Yes… your highness?"

"Don't give me that tone, bastard. Come here now." Suikotsu beckoned him forward. Mikato just sighed inwardly and obeyed.

"What is it?"

"This spy business… Inuyasha may have sent some before he was… dethroned." Suikotsu said with a scowl. "There may be a few in this palace that are loyal to him and not me or Bankotsu."

"You want me to find them and kill them for you?" Mikato guessed dryly.

"How many would you say there is?"

"Right now… about a hundred and seventy six?" Mikato suggested. A total lie. There were all of twenty two spies, Mikato included.

"Find them and kill them all." Suikotsu told him. "I don't want any lingering loyalties to dead royalty."

Mikato wasn't listening anymore. His eyes were on the person who had just thrown the doors open and was entering the throne room. The doors were behind Suikotsu, so he didn't immediately see who it was, but he heard the rude arrival and steady, unhurried footsteps coming forward. No one but the fourteen year old messenger boy had the gall to move like that in his presence.

"Ah, the fleet foot boy. What news have you brought from Bankotsu this time?" he asked without turning.

A blade flashed through the air with a hiss and Suikotsu's head rolled off his neck and onto the floor.

"He's a bone head, but I'm sure you already knew that." Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga and carried on towards the throne through a room now filled with stock-still patrons. He pushed the dissolving corpse off the old stone chair and sat down. "Ah that's better… been on my feet all day…"

He leant his head back and closed his eyes for a moment as if resting, Toukijin hanging loosely from his left hand in a new scabbard, whilst Tessaiga remained at his left side. But then he blinked and lifted his head again. "Well? Aren't you going to welcome your new King?"

It was a dream come true… Kagome's dream come true.

AN: Might not be able to update this for a while, sorry about that. But when I do the next chapter is – 'Coming Clean'


	16. Coming Clean

AN: Sorry about the wait, but I was skipping town over the last few days to see a specialist doctor – and finally get a diagnosis on an illness I have, called M.E.. It's long term and quite physically draining, but I should be getting treatment soon (about damn time, I've been ill for two years now). Thankfully it's not life threatening.

And just so no one's confused anymore (I know a lot of people are) I'll give a little rundown of what's happening so far. Feel free to skip past this bit with a roll of your eyes if you think you know it all. 

1. There are only 2 Shichinin-tai left now. Renkotsu, who is living in the cellar and watching over the 'voodoo doll' that makes Inuyasha insane, and Bankotsu who is running the _Southern _Kingdom. 

2. Inuyasha has been forced off the throne. Except now he's just taken control of the _Northern _Kingdom which used to belong to Sesshomaru, before Suikotsu took control of it (some people seemed to think he was back in his old palace). Inuyasha killed Suikotsu, so now he's the new King of the _North._

3. Kagome's married to Bankotsu, but I think she'll start regretting that very soon.

4. As it stands at this point in time, Inuyasha is _not _insane since he's not in the Southern Kingdom.

5. And in all respects, Inuyasha and Kagome have not yet been properly reunited since Inuyasha was too insane to really appreciate the fact that she's alive and well. 

6. North is smaller than the South. But North is stronger than the South. You need to understand that for a lot of this junk to make sense.

Ok, if you knew all that then congratulations you're following the plot! If you didn't, well I hope that clears things up a bit.

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 16

Coming Clean

"Did you hear the news?"

"Yes – that Lord Inu's alive?"

"But they say he's still insane, poor man."

"They had him locked in his room for safe keeping-"

"And then he escaped."

This was all Kagome seemed to hear as she moved down the corridors. Staff and workers were chattering about the gossip and comparing stories. Gradually, Kagome was noticing that they were all beginning to call him Lord Inu… it was all getting confusing and Kagome was certain that one day soon her simple brain would explode from the pressure.

But she knew her facts. Inuyasha had somehow escaped from the trustworthy cage that Miroku had set up. When Bankotsu had angrily demanded how the hell Inuyasha had escaped from such an infallible cage, he'd simply replied. "Well then that's what we, in the religious business, call fallible." He didn't really care in other words.

It was like time was repeating itself. Inuyasha had disappeared again without any warning and was thought to be running around the woods again like a lunatic. Maybe he'd left the island again? Maybe he'd really fallen down a ravine this time and was being chewed up by badgers that very moment in time…

Kagome grimaced as her thoughts seemed to be running on the dark side lately…

"Hey!"

Some child was yelling. She didn't really register the sound and continued walking slowly like she was in a trance.

"Hey – girl in the yukata!"

Every girl was wearing a yukata, it was summer, wasn't it? Not a time for formal kimonos. She carried on walking.

"Hey – you-with-hair-down-to-here-with-full-lips-and-blue-eyes-the-colour-of-the-sky-and-the-one-Inuyasha-fancies girl!"

Kagome blinked. That was a very strange name to have, she stopped and turned to see a Youkai child scurrying down the corridor towards her. He was running so fast he didn't stop in time and skidded, colliding with her ankles. She didn't even budge an inch. "Hello." She said with a degree of surprise.

He waved weakly, obviously out of breath. It was a moment before he could speak. "You're Kagome, ain't ya?"

"Uh… yeah." She didn't know what else to say.

"Well obviously. You're the only human girl in this palace who isn't related to Inuyasha and not pregnant with some other man's child, I checked. So you must be the one he likes." Shippo pushed himself to his feet. "Just thought I should warn you about Bankotsu."

"Who are you?" Kagome asked pointedly.

"Shippo. I'm the Kitsune that travelled with Inuyasha whilst he was looking for his brother. Did he tell you about me?"

"No."

"No one tells anyone about me… that sucks…" Shippo grumbled before shrugging. "Maybe he didn't get the chance. Everyone says he's turned insane."

"He always was insane." Kagome crouched down in the middle of the corridor to talk better.

"Really?" Shippo cocked his head. "He seemed ok to me. But he always was a bit odd… too violent I think, especially with my head. But maybe he turned extra mad when he found out you married whatshisface with the sword."

"Don't remind me…" Kagome sighed miserably.

"Well anyway – since you're not dead and all I guess that was all some kind of mix-up – you should know something about your hubby."

"My hubby?"

"Yes."

"And what would that be?" she smiled lightly.

"He's evil."

"Ah…" that smile slipped somewhat.

"I heard it all from the big guy – Sesshomaru – yeah, that's what his name was… well anyway, he told us that he's been dethroned by a git named Suikotsu and that Suikotsu was taking orders from someone called Bankotsu. And then we bumped into a queer guy who had actually been sent to assassinate Inuyasha by Bankotsu again and they're all in some kind of group called the Shichinin-tai."

"What?" Kagome stared at him. "Bankotsu ordered someone to kill Inuyasha… but that's impossible!"

"They all have their names the same and they all are like, really super strong humans and apparently Bankotsu has a big sword." Shippo nodded. "And I saw a human guy strolling by with a big sword earlier… was that him?"

"I… I think there's been a mistake." Kagome straightened. "Bankotsu is Inuyasha's right hand man, he wouldn't have been captain of the guard if Inuyasha didn't trust-"

"That's why Inuyasha got so pissed when he found out that Bankotsu had betrayed him." Shippo insisted.

"But…" Kagome struggled to absorb this information. "Shippo… Inuyasha's not been in his right mind for a while, what he says or tells you may not be the truth-"

"I saw it all with my own two eyes and heard it all with my own three ears – I mean – two ears!" Shippo persisted. "I'm telling you he's evil! E-V-I-L!

Kagome stared at him. The pieces of this small puzzle falling slowly into place. The reason why the Northern King had found all the spies and thrown them out was because Bankotsu had inside information and had probably told him… there weren't very many left up North now…

The reason why Bankotsu had suddenly professed his love for her, hours before she was informed she would be the new Queen… all because he needed her hand in marriage to get the throne. A usurper.

The reason why life on this island had fallen to pieces barely a month after that man arrived.

The one who had tried to fake Inuyasha's death so the throne would fall to someone weaker…

"It's true." Shippo told her after a moment for her to think it through. "He's out to get you all."

"I… I need to go talk to someone." She seemed hesitant to leave him alone, but decided he was probably as good as Fushi at taking care of himself and so turned hurriedly and started to all but run down to corridor.

Bankotsu had some explaining to do.

He'd undoubtedly be in the throne room living it up as King… she felt so sick that this was her fault. If she hadn't married him…?

She arrived through the back door of the throne room the same moment a messenger arrived through the front way.

"Bankotsu!" she yelled in full throttle anger.

"Lord Bankotsu!" The messenger yelled at the same moment.

He looked up at both of them, but decided the messenger was more important. "Report."

"The – the Northern King is dead – he was killed last night."

Bankotsu stiffened considerably. "What did you say?" Kagome watched his fingers flex dangerously close to the long hilt of his sword.

"He was killed. They still won't tell us who he was – but they told us that… that Lord Inuyasha did him in… He's the new Northern King." The messenger stammered slightly. The buzz of conversation rose around the edges of the room where people dallied.

Already Kagome could hear the story spreading down the corridors. News spread like a mere gust of wind in this place…

She felt like she'd swallowed a lump of ice that clenched in her stomach painfully. Inuyasha was the new King of the North? Oh dear… just like in her dreams…

"Are you certain?" Bankotsu narrowed his eyes at the messenger.

"Yes – he sought me out himself and told me to tell you." The messenger boy was panting… it seemed like he'd run the whole way. "He also said, he's making some changes now."

"What kind of changes?" Bankotsu had risen from his throne slowly.

"Um… that he was renovating the army or something like that. He said you should prepare yourself for war in the near future." The messenger nodded.

The captain of the guard immediately stepped forward to Bankotsu. "My lord – even with our army at twice the strength it used to be, we cannot match the Northern forces. They may be a smaller country but they're nearly four times larger and stronger. If he's making changes-"

"What specific changes?" Bankotsu snapped at the messenger who tried to gulp for more air.

"He didn't say. He just said… he was expanding and cleaning up the mess left by the old King." The messenger pressed a hand to his stomach, still trying to catch his breath. "A total take-over he said. That he was going to slaughter you."

"And he means it." Kagome said quietly, her crystal smooth voice cutting through the air like a bell. Bankotsu and the others in the room turned to look at her. She only regarded her husband with a stony anger. "For what you've done… you've just pissed off the most powerful man in the world."

A not so unreasonable assumption. If Suikotsu had beat the supposedly undefeatable Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha had defeated Suikotsu… wasn't he technically the strongest now?

But Bankotsu had sensed the anger in Kagome's voice… the betrayed glint of hate in her eyes. He stared at her, knowing full well now that she knew him for who he was…

He'd have to deal with her later. 

But right then he needed to go speak to Renkotsu. Tell him the bad news that Suikotsu had failed. There were only two of them left now… "Excuse me." He bowed slightly to Kagome, in a slightly mocking way and left without another word.

Chatter broke out the minute he was gone and Kagome still couldn't seem to make that ice in her stomach melt.

What had she done?

^_^

"And what was your crime?" Inuyasha suppressed the urge to yawn and let his eyes droop as he leaned against the wall outside cell number god-knows-what.

"I stole bread to feed my family."

"Pathetic." Inuyasha turned to the second man in the cell. "And you?"

"Stole horses. Six of them. For money. To pay off my debts."

"You?" Inuyasha looked at the third man.

"Murder." He said simply.

"Elaborate." Inuyasha ordered. Mikato, the captain, shifted behind him, their legs were all falling asleep from standing for so long, but it had to be done.

"The man I killed had killed my wife by knocking her down in his cart."

Inuyasha didn't bat an eyelid. "And what about you?" he asked the last man.

"Murder. I killed three of your men and accidentally one of our own." The guy shrugged.

"Ok." Inuyasha rotated his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. He gestured to the group of soldiers behind him. "Take them all and put them in the army – accept for the third guy. Kill him."

"But the last guy killed three of your own." Mikato stepped forward.

"Under orders. And the third guy killed a man just because of some lame accident." Inuyasha told him flatly. "Next cell."

They moved on through the dungeons. "How many more are there?" Inuyasha asked the captain.

"Well… we've been through a hundred prisoners and recruited eighty-six of them. There are two hundred fifty nine more to go through." Mikato told him. "At this rate we should have recruited a significant increase to the army."

"That's nice." Inuyasha stopped outside the bars of the next cell. There was only one occupant, an old man. "So what was your crime, old prune?"

"I serve no one!" The man yelled. "I only serve Lord Inu! Ruler of this island!"

Inuyasha winced at the volume. "Lord Inutessai is dead. The island has been split in two for nearly twenty years."

"Then I serve no one!" the man continued. "Not Lord Sesshomaru! Not Lord Inuyasha! Not Lord Suikotsu!" he spat on the floor.

"Oh leave him be, he's happy where he is." Inuyasha grumbled and stepped back. "I've had enough of this, I have better things to attend to. Mikato, I think you know the flow by now. Put the pathetic ones into the army and serial killers to death. Can you handle that?"

"Oh yes." He nodded.

"Good." Inuyasha left him to it.

Somehow he had to stage some kind of amazing come-back. He had to get rid of the last of the Shichinin-tai and reclaim the Southern territory… as well as Kagome.

A jab of pain shot through him, almost like real pain, but he knew it was just his heart overreacting again. Every time he thought of Kagome – yep… there was that pain again…

It was best not to think about her. It was like shock therapy. As long as he didn't think of her then it didn't tear him up and make him so damned _angry_ that Bankotsu had taken her from him…

Kagome always teased him a bout how jealous he got… it wasn't like he could help being that way. If someone looked at her in that suggestive way he felt like punching them. Once someone got on one knee to her – it _actually _happened the one time – he hadn't felt any restraint from giving them that swift punch he craved. They hadn't bothered Kagome after that. He hadn't blamed Kagome for just being Kagome. She did kinda give off the wrong signals sometimes… well… at all times really. Her sweet, but strong nature attracted drooling men so easily it was unbelievable. She didn't mean to, and nearly every time she turned them down before he had a chance to get incredibly protective…

But what had happened this time? All the time Bankotsu had been Captain, he hadn't noticed anything going on between them. They'd gone behind his back most likely… secret meetings… little lover's rendezvous at midnight… in the forest…

"Shit…" Inuyasha was suddenly hit by such a strong wave of remorse or misery, he didn't know for sure, that he had to stop and make sure he didn't swoon.

She hadn't even given him a chance had she? He'd been 'dead' for what? Three weeks? And no sooner had the dirt been shovelled over his grave but she'd married the new King, Bankotsu. Was she just waiting for him to kick the bucket before marrying him? So he wouldn't stop her from marrying the human?

Well she was Queen now… lucky bitch… something Inuyasha hadn't offered her.

Well Bankotsu was duping her either way. He only wanted the throne and Inuyasha in an early grave… or did he sincerely want Kagome too? Did she know what Bankotsu was really like? Did she know that he had staged Inuyasha's death? Did she know he'd staged _her _death? Did she know that Inuyasha wasn't _actually _insane? But just some nasty curse that caused everyone to lose faith in him.

And that curse was what prevented him from going back personally to kill Bankotsu and free his country… if he went back he'd most likely go insane all over again and forget what he'd returned for. Maybe if he wrote it on his hand 'kill Bankotsu'… nah… he'd probably forget anyway.

And there was a chance that he would hurt Kagome…

The foggy memories still stuck with him. He remembered what he'd done to her… what he'd said… remembered the sharp spike of fear within her when he'd grabbed her… but she'd also been angry at him. Angry at him for returning? For being alive and well enough to mess up her new life with Bankotsu as his Queen.

Here was a very big mess that needed to be cleaned up. And how come it was always _him_ who got stuck with the mop and bucket?

Best not think about Kagome… the pain was still just a little too fresh for that…

^_^

She wanted a divorce, and that was final!

He wasn't going to sweet talk her, he wasn't going to kill her and he wasn't going to fool her anymore! If he tried any of the above she would give him a good thrashing with… with… with plants! Ok… maybe she'd have to rely on something else, but her determination still stuck. How _dare _he use her to get the throne? They'd both agreed that giving him the throne was the best course of action… but that was when Kagome had thought he was kind and decent. She knew now that he was scum…

Lower than the lowest creep of all time…

She did not _like _being duped. She'd been duped too many times in her life to appreciate it. She did not like people using her generosity and kind-heartedness to get the better of her. And she liked it a whole lot less when people used her to get to Inuyasha!

Kagome wanted Inuyasha back with her so badly that her chest ached with the feeling. Literally. Insane or not, he'd make a better and more honest King than Bankotsu any day. Bankotsu needed to be put down like the animal he was…

She couldn't believe she married him…

She couldn't believe she _kissed_ him!

Instinctively she drew a hand up and wiped her mouth as though she could still taste him. Inuyasha's kisses were far better, she decided then and there.

She continued pacing the length of the throne room before the throne itself, nervously wringing her hands together and chewing her lip. There was no one else in there with her… and it seemed unusually cold and quiet that evening. Outside the sun had set a few hours ago and it was pretty dark. She couldn't see anything past the window itself.

Kagome looked back towards the doors and wondered when Bankotsu would return from his meeting with the royal advisors. She didn't feel sorry for him… being with those three workaholics. But he'd be out soon and he'd return to the throne room where she would confront him about a divorce in front of witnesses. Maybe she could even revoke his claim to the throne. Take it back from him. Make up a mere soldier again and her the gloriously overwhelmed Queen. He'd hate that… and then she'd be able to get him kicked of the island for good. And then she could devote time to helping Inuyasha with his sickness – then she would marry him and they would have children and die of- 

Ok, she was getting ahead of herself again. She still had yet to divorce Bankotsu. And she wasn't entirely sure that divorcing him would entitle her to take back the throne. It didn't work that way here…

She rearranged the sash of her favourite yukata, the one everyone said was plain, but she liked it because it was just that? Who needed elaborate designs on clothes to be special? She just wanted to be herself…

She realised she was nervous, but who wouldn't be? She'd just discovered that her husband didn't love her at all, that he'd staged Inuyasha's death and that he probably planned to do away with her sooner or later.

"I wish Inuyasha would return… sane if possible…" she whispered into her hands, staring off into space as she hovered before the throne.

Her legs were getting weary from standing up so she sat down heavily on the throne. There was no on there to see anyway… no one would shout at her for doing so. Even though it was a criminal offence to sit in the King's throne whilst not being ruling King or Queen. She'd heard some law somewhere that if you sat in the throne of a King, that King would then be compelled to fight you and either kill you or lose to you. So if you sat in his chair, you would either die or become King… a risky thing to do.

Maybe she shouldn't sit there…

She rose to her feet again but had barely taken two steps away from the throne when a strong hand reached out from behind her and took her by the waist. She twisted to look behind her, but stuttered to a frozen halt when a nasty looking black blade slid gently across the soft skin of her neck, not cutting her, but giving fair warning…

It looked an awful lot like the dagger that she'd seen plunged into her chest in her premonition.

She was also wearing her favourite yukata… the one she'd seen herself wearing in her vision as well. It was also dark outside… just like her premonition… and the room was empty… just like…

In fact the whole thing sorta reminded her of her premonition. Except it was missing one thing… Kagome inched a frightened gaze along the arm holding the dagger, but the man was standing behind her, not giving her a clear view of his profile.

The arm at her waist drew back slightly so his hand rested against her hip instead, squeezing lightly through the light material of her clothing. She became acutely aware of his much larger frame pressed against her body from behind. But strangely she didn't feel as terrified as she might have done normally in this kind of situation. On edge, yes. Uneasy, yes. Prepared to run screaming for help, yes. But not jelly-legged scared.

The blade didn't move an inch from her neck and she knew that if she moved or swallowed, the sharp edge would slice her veins. Though she wanted to slap his hand away, to push _him _away and run, she didn't move a muscle. She scarcely allowed herself to breathe or even blink, especially when she felt a free hand move to tug her yukata gently off one shoulder, and felt warm lips press against her exposed skin. She nearly jumped straight into the blade in alarm, but his hand turned to her side, steadying her movement.

"Stop it!" her voice broke a little as she whispered her plea.

He ignored her, nudging her hair aside to press light kisses to the curve of her neck. "You smell like Lavender…" His breath tickled her ear, making her shiver.

"Inuyasha – don't do this." She tried to hint for him to get off, but the blade only tightened against her and she froze again.

"You've been a bit of a naughty girl haven't you, Kagome?" She almost heard the amusement lying in his tone. "Marrying all kinds to get the satisfaction you want."

"That's not true…" she whispered.

"Maybe I was too forceful before. Maybe I made myself too clear." He continued kissing her neck. "Maybe I should go slower… show you loving and gentle. Would you like that?"

"No." her voice hitched, it wasn't her fault… he was making her dizzy.

"Is this the way Bankotsu does it? Whisper sweet shit in your ear and make you swoon so he can-"

She cut him off as she elbowed him hard in the stomach. The knife slipped against her throat, causing the faintest trickle of blood to slide to her collarbone. His hand gripped her hair and rather violently tugged her head back, forcing her chin up to expose more neck to the knife. "Not a wise thing to do when I hold your life in my hands!"

"You have _always _held my life in your hands!" She whispered back fiercely. "Stop this and let me go now!"

"Something in here tells me I should obey you." He told her savagely. "But why is that when you are the one who should be obeying _me?_!"

Slowly she began to relax, and with her, his grip of her hair loosened until his hand fell back to her shoulder, tracing small patterns with his thumb. She stared passively at a vase that stood on a stable against the opposite wall. "This is where you kill me…"

"I know." He murmured. "I came to kill someone else too… don't remember who… what does it say on my hand?"

She flicked her eyes down to the hand holding the dagger. "Your hand says it's Bankotsu."

"Tell my hand that's a very good idea." He moved around to stand before her, the tip of the knife moving lower to hover over her chest. He stared at the tip as she stared at him, praying that his sanity would return in some amazing miracle that very moment.

"But that'll have to wait, because first I have to deal with you, don't I?"

AN: Next chapter – 'Insane and in Love'. It's going to be a long one – and has a slightly… interesting end. I'll leave you all to ponder that ^_^


	17. Insane and In Love

AN: Extra, extra long chapter now (16 pages in Microsoft Word instead of the usual 12) to make up for all the last one and its lateness, I hope you enjoy it. And as for the ending… I caution you for slightly **citrusy** scenes later in this chapter, but nothing too hard core. If you get deeply offended by these things I trust you have the sense to not read offending things after getting a warning (duh). But because of this the end of the chapter is rated R but NOT nc-17.

(And to any family members reading this, ie. My mother, father, sister, feeble-hearted grandparents, etc.… lemon and lime warnings simply mean the characters of this story partake in an age old tradition of… **mixing drinks and making lemonade**. That's all. Very boring actually. Now please for the love of god don't read on!)

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 17

Insane and in Love

It had all come down to this. The dreams, the visions and the future glimpse she'd seen. She'd prayed it wouldn't happen. That he wouldn't act out her fears and go insane. She'd prayed that he wouldn't take over the Northern territory, prayed that he wouldn't abandon Tessaiga for Toukijin… prayed that he wouldn't kill her…

Strange how she'd all seen it coming, but was still shocked at what was happening now.

But she wasn't scared.

"Well?" she raised her eyes to meet his. "Aren't you going to do it?"

"In a minute." He suddenly pulled the dagger away and bounced it casually against his other hand. He looked thoughtful as he moved away from her… "There's something not quite right about this…"

Other than the fact he was about execute her? Kagome eyed him warily, watched the dim light of candles reflect on the metal braces around his forearms. He'd changed his clothes since she'd last seen him in all his glory or ripped, bloodstained and grubby cotton underclothes. Now he looked like the King his father had been… his grandfather had been… his great grandfather…

It was all black and red with various pieces of armour now… what had happened to the days when he'd just walk around in his underwear…? Ok, that had probably been whilst he was only Prince and didn't have people watching him twenty four hours a day.

"No quite right…" he repeated, his left hand resting on Tessaiga's hilt whilst his right carried on gripping the dagger.

"What's not right?" Kagome ventured quietly, watching his eyes turn to the ground like he was once more looking through the boards. He didn't seem to hear her, and Kagome discreetly started backing away towards the side door to the room, she glanced over her shoulder to check she didn't bang into anything.

"What does this mean?"

Kagome snapped back around to face him and stared, her heart pounding unreasonably fast in her chest. "What?"

"This." He pointed to a tapestry that hung over a mantle. "Mom kept saying it had some kind of symbolic meaning, but I never understood it."

Kagome tried to regain control of her breathing. "This isn't really the time to discuss the philosophies of art…" she whispered, a hand pressed over her heart.

Her turned to look at her in annoyance. "Where do you think you're creeping off to?"

"Um…" she struggled for an excuse. She was too slow and he stomped towards her, grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back as the dagger once more pressed against her neck. "Inuyasha – please!"

"Shh," he whispered into her ear. "It's only for show."

"What?" she squeaked.

"For him." Inuyasha turned his eyes to the door the second they were thrown open and Bankotsu entered with several soldiers and other staff. His expression had been stormy, but when he saw the sight that awaited him in the throne room, it moved to surprise instead.

Now _this _hadn't happened in Kagome's premonition.

Bankotsu recovered quickly, faster than anyone else. "Put her down, Hanyou."

"But I'm not even holding her up." Inuyasha responded calmly whilst Kagome swallowed audibly and tried to lean away from the knife.

"You can't take her, she's mine, even you should respect that." Bankotsu narrowed his eyes.

"You fucking liar." Inuyasha hissed. "She was _mine _until you stole her! I'm only taking back what's rightfully mine! Her life is mine! Her body is mine!"

"I'm not an object!" Kagome cried out, but bit fell silent and bit her lip when Inuyasha tightened his grip on her warningly.

"Don't you dare hurt her." Bankotsu took a step forward, meaning his words every bit. He needed Kagome to uncover the curse on the Shichinin-tai, if she was unable to do so then he was screwed.

"You'll never know." Inuyasha smirked lightly, and suddenly the knife dropped from his grip, his arm wrapped around Kagome's waist and he took a running charge for the window.

Bankotsu started after them. "Stop him!" he ordered the guards.

But before they'd even started to pursue, Inuyasha had thrown himself and Kagome straight through the glass, shattering it around them as they plummeted towards the dark ground. Kagome flinched and waited for the deadly impact that would squish them both…

It never came.

Just a light thump and Inuyasha had landed on the ground. He released her only to grab her by the wrist and drag her towards the wall that surrounded the palace. Behind them Kagome heard the sharp orders issued from Bankotsu for the soldiers to go after them. But they were too far behind.

One punch and the wall crumbled and opened up before them. Kagome was yanked forward by Inuyasha and had no choice but to stagger after him as they began running.

"Where are we going?!" she yelled to him.

He didn't answer, and she couldn't see his face. She knew one thing for sure, and it relieved her slightly, that her premonition hadn't come to pass now. Maybe the future had changed now?

They were already well into the forest by the time their followers left the palace, on horseback no less. Kagome was already getting out of breath and developing a severe stitch in her side. "Inuyasha…!" she called, needing to stop and catch her breath.

"I need to get away…" his vague reply came. "It's still too strong…"

"I… I can't run anymore!" she pleaded.

With a harsh jolt she found herself on the floor, Inuyasha stopped a short distance away and looked back the way they had come. "Hurry and catch your breath then." He seemed annoyed by something. Kagome watched him as she tried to collect herself and massaged her stitch. She saw him slowly close his eyes and turn away from her with a faint frown, a hand rising to her forehead.

"Are you… are you ok?" she panted, seeing his obvious pain.

He turned, as though noticing her for the first time. His hand dropped to his side and she noticed the slow narrowing of his eyes. "I was sick with worry for you. My heart broke when I saw you covered in blood and with your lifeless eyes just staring."

Kagome rose a hand to her raw throat as she stared at him. What was he talking about? He was creeping her out.

"I threw my life on the line for you!" he was quickly changing from smirking lunacy into angry violence. "I turned my back on you for a month and when I turn back, I find you fucking Bankotsu!"

"Inuyasha – that isn't true!" She tried to defend herself. "Me and Bankotsu have never done anything…"

She trailed off as he stormed towards her, a thrill of fear shot through her when she realised he wasn't about to embrace her tenderly and declare his love. She tried shuffling back, but she was still too winded and cramped for the hard run, his hands fisted in the front of her yukata and dragged her to her feet.

"Don't lie to me bitch! You wreak of each other!" he snarled in her face.

Kagome was still a bit short of breath and dizzy for this sort of treatment. "We share a bed – we have to – we're married – but never together!"

She nearly got the shock of her life when his mouth crashed against hers and his tongue swept into her mouth, more of a search rather than a kiss. She was too dazed and dizzy to repel him. It didn't last nearly as long as she hoped their next kiss would, and he was still glared heatedly at her by the end of it. "I can taste him in your mouth…"

"That's…" she struggled to regain the tattered pieces of her sanity as well. "He kissed me… when he told me he loved me…"

She was thrown to the ground so hard she was winded completely, and her lungs were just too startled to drag in air.

"He won't have you. I won't let him." Inuyasha said calmly as he straddled her waist and flattened her onto her back. His hands fastened around her throat as he continued to watch her with calm anger. "And if he can't have you and I can't have you now that you're spoiled. No one can have you."

She couldn't breathe now even though her lungs laboured for air at last. His fingers squeezed harder and she felt the needle like prick of his claws that pierced the skin at the back of her neck. She couldn't gain to air to plead with him, to cry or scream in anger. Her hands weakly tried to push his own hands away from her, but they didn't move. He kept on squeezing the life out of her little by little, with such anger and seriousness that it scared her beyond anything she'd witnessed before. Her dreams were nothing compared to the real thing.

Spots danced before her eyes and she could no longer hold them open. She felt like all the blood had rushed to her head and that her brain would explode any moment now. A dull roar in her ears cut out the sounds of the forest around them. Inuyasha spoke to her again, but the words were too muffled to comprehend. He carried on choking her, killing her the slowest way possible. He could slice off her head, drive a fist into her heart and kill her in an instant, but that would have been to easy for him wouldn't it.

Death loomed on the horizon, she could feel it rushing towards her at a steady pace. She only had a matter of seconds left before everything else would start to shut down and she'd fall asleep forever.

Without any conscious effort her hands stopped patting at his pathetically and her lead like arms moved out to the side to spread out. Her fingers found a strength she didn't know she was capable of just then at the brink of death, and buried them into the soft earth of the forest floor. A tingling sensation flowed from her chest through her arms… it was the only sensation she was capable of feeling. She couldn't even feel his hands against her throat anymore, but she felt their presence, along with his large body hovering over hers.

Then the next moment it was gone. Life seemed to burst within her as her senses came flooding back with new vitality she'd swear she'd never take for granted again. Air rushed back into her lungs as she gasped and coughed with all her might as she forced her eyes open to find out why he'd given up strangling her.

Maybe it was because he was unconscious.

Kagome pushed herself to her feet, tentatively rubbing her abused throat and watched Inuyasha warily. He definitely looked unconscious… but he wasn't just faking it now was he? She inched forward carefully and flicked one of his ears… she got no response.

Ever so gently she pushed him onto his back and leaned over him to see what his problem was. If the large graze on his temple was any indication, he'd been hit by a hard heavy object. But when Kagome looked around, she found no one within sight or range.

Had _she _done this to him…

She sucked in a breath when she felt him stir beneath her and backed away quickly.

"Cowardly trees… I'll take all of you on…" he mumbled, eyes still closed.

Kagome ran. She had no choice. Either stay and risk getting strangled or worse, raped, or run for the hills and stand half a chance of survival. She couldn't go back to the palace… she didn't trust Bankotsu any more than she trusted crazy Inuyasha. And liked him a whole lot less. She had no idea where she was going in that case, but she knew she had to get out of there.

That stitch came back after a few minutes, but she kept running. Even when her legs felt numb she kept going. Even when they felt like jelly she kept on going, and when the pain in her side was sending spasms to her chest, she went on running. She just told herself to take it one step at a time. Just a few more steps at least. And when she'd done that, she told herself to run just a few more. She ran past the sun rising over the horizon and surprised herself by her tenacity to keep going. 

"Bitch!"

She gasped, in what could have sounded like a strangled scream. She looked behind her but she couldn't see him. But with his body he'd catch up in no time… he'd follow her scent trail and find her no matter where she ran. She'd been a fool to believe otherwise.

"I wasn't finished with you!"

She staggered on, half toppled down a small slope and fell against a young maple tree. She caught her breath for a few seconds before forcing her weary bones to keep moving. She was practically dead on her feet, but that didn't seem important. She just had to keep going.

"You can't hide!"

She'd heard rumours once that there was an area in the Southern forest that overlapped into the Northern border, a place where a plant called dog-fern grew. Dog-fern was notorious for emitting a neutralising odour that humans couldn't detect, and only dogs or Inu Youkai could smell faintly. In a vast area of the stuff, a fermented fish could hide well enough for days without being found. The dog fern hid some of the most ghastly smells.

That's why if you murdered someone and you didn't want anyone to find out or at least sniff it out, you hid the body in the dog fern so no one would notice the smell of rotting corpse.

A place like that would have been perfect round about now. But she had no idea where exactly it was, and had even less of an idea as to where she was either. She could hide there front Inuyasha, under the ferns and keep very quiet… he'd never smell her out…

But he already had her in view, and looking back over her shoulder she knew she was done for. But stubbornness forced her on and even though she could see the old ravine up ahead, a cliff edge that would block her run at last, she kept going. Perhaps she'd throw herself off, and hope that she survived. Would Inuyasha follow her down?

Hang on – two ravines? She was sure there'd only been one before…

She glanced over her shoulder and was amazed at what she saw. Inuyasha had stopped and was leaning against one of the trees, holding his head in obvious agony.

This seemed to give her hope at least, and she sped up as she stumbled through the trees that were beginning to space out as she reached the end of the forest. Soon she was into the searing heat of the sun, with no trees overhead to shade her from the intense light. She ignored it as she tottered towards the edge of the ravine and looked down. The height was dizzying. At the bottom she could make out the lake that swept along the bottom it, stretching from the West coast.

A long time ago there had been a great earthquake on the island, and the land had just cracked into two, halfway across the island. There were some places where the two sides connected still, but the majority of the island was split by this long canyon. The sea had just swarmed into the gouge and now all sorts of plant life grew along the bottom of the ravine, and some rare stuff that attracted swarms of butterflies in summer.

It had been nicknamed the Butterfly Canyon, but was rarely used since the butterflies only came in summer.

Looking down Kagome could see them. Little clouds of flashing wings that reminded her of something she'd seen in a dream. She gazed down as the hazy heat seemed to consume her. Her legs finally gave out and she crumpled to the hard dusty ground, her legs thrumming painfully from their exertion and her hands propped herself up where they braced against the parched earth beside her.

She heard his footsteps behind her and closed her eyes in despair. "I… I can't run anymore…"

The footsteps stopped directly behind her and she felt his shadow fall over her, giving her some relief from the intense light. "Do what you want with me…" she whispered. "But if you want to kill me, make it quick please… if you want to do anything else… just knock me out before you do it… or I'll throw myself into the ravine."

Wordlessly she heard him kneel down beside her, and she waited for the cruel remarks, the physical bullying he enjoyed inflicting on her. Two warm arms closed around her from behind and she felt his head press against her shoulder as he pulled her back for an embrace. She fit perfectly against him, she was vaguely aware of that when she felt his arms tighten around her. She didn't open her eyes, she didn't throw him off… she didn't say anything at all in fact. She didn't know why he was holding her so gently.

"You're alive…" he whispered against her shoulder. "I was worried I might have just imagined it all…"

Kagome's eyes slowly opened to gaze out across the canyon. Why all of a sudden was Inuyasha speaking with that tone… that tone that held no hint of malice, amusement or madness… he sounded normal. "Inu… Inuyasha…?" her voice broke slightly, too hoarse from her throat being choked like that earlier.

"I was so scared… I thought I'd lost you… and now I've lost you to _him_…" he was rocking her ever so slightly.

"No you haven't…" she whispered back, her hand coming up to lightly clasp his arm. What was happening to him…?

"I was so lost."

Kagome found her will to pull out of his arms, surprised when he allowed her too. She turned to look him in the eyes. The bruise was prominent over his brow now… but she couldn't tear her gaze away from his. If he was insane, he wouldn't have been able to hide it. I was impossible to hide something that unstable. But his eyes were clear, open, and… and so heartbreakingly sad she felt her breathe catch in her throat.

"What's the matter with you?" she demanded, it sounded a little harsh, but she didn't understand. "First you try to attack me and now you are _sorry_ for it-"

"We can talk about this later." He glanced over his shoulder. "They're following our trail – we have to move."

"I… I can't move." Kagome told him, still watching him warily as though he might just decide to bite her in a moment. She regarded the hand that he held out to her as though it were a snake.

"I don't bite anymore." He assured her.

"I never thought that." She lied, but still couldn't summon the strength in her legs to stand.

He sighed and crouched down before her. "Would you like to ride my back?"

"You sure you won't drop me?" she asked hesitantly.

"I promise."

She accepted the offer.

^_^

"Are you insane yet?

"No."

"Are you insane yet?"

"No."

"Are you insane yet?"

"No."

"Are you really sane or are you insane and just saying 'no' so I'll stay on your back and you can carry me to the cliffs and throw me into the see and laugh about it later?" Kagome laid limply against his back, her head against his shoulder and her eyes closed and unable to open. She was pretty sure she was as good as welded to him in this heat.

"No." Was Inuyasha's flat reply to her inquiry.

"Are you insane yet?"

"You sound like Fushi."

"You sound like your mother."

"Shut up."

Kagome sighed lightly as she listened to the monogamous sound of Inuyasha wading through the water of the river. It had risen up to his thighs by now, and Kagome still managed to persuade him that her legs were too beaten to go wading with him. The heat was almost unbearable though, since on the river there were no trees hanging over head to offer them shade. "So all that time it was just a spell… why didn't you just go and destroy the talisman in the cellar then?"

"I didn't realise until recently… and I was too out of it to think about going and destroying it. There were only two things in my mind when I was like that. You… and killing Bankotsu."

Kagome flicked a fly away from her face. "Whoever said that you had a one track mind, huh?"

Inuyasha grunted. "When we came back from that fake battle challenge, I found you dead in the throne room, ya know? That's why I left."

"But I didn't die." Kagome was too hot and tired to prop herself up indignantly.

"I can see that." Inuyasha said dryly. "I'm guessing it was either me and my insanity or some kind of illusion set up by one of the Shichinin-tai. Either way, I left to find Sesshomaru to retrieve Tenseiga to revive you… but when I found him, the sword had already been destroyed by the Shichinin-tai, and so I took Toukijin instead."

"The Shichinin-tai are just messing everything up…" Kagome sighed thoughtfully. "But… even if you were mad and you still went through all that to help me… I guess, you don't hate me as much as you say."

"I never said I hated you." Inuyasha snapped. "Not even when I was insane."

Kagome frowned at his harsh tone, but knew that it was borne out of concern for her, not anger.

"So anyway. After you found out that _I'd _died… did you wait ten minutes to marry Bankotsu or a whole two weeks out of respect for the dead?" his tone condescending.

Kagome sat up promptly and glared at the back of his head. "Don't talk to me like that – you have no idea what kind of grief I went through for you! I stopped eating! I wouldn't talk to anyone! Not for a fortnight!"

"Ah – so two weeks for respect it was then."

She cuffed his ear angrily. "I didn't marry for love if that's what you think!"

He staggered to a halt and promptly dropped her in the water, earning a squeak. "So you married just to become Queen?! Is that all you ever wanted?!"

Kagome surfaced the river and pushed her hair out of her face. "What?" she hadn't heard a word he'd said with all that water in her ears.

"I wouldn't give you what you wanted so you leapt at the chance to have Bankotsu give you the title of Queen, huh?" he gave her a withering look. "You scum-sucking bitch."

"A-are you insane again?!" Kagome yelled. "I was already Queen when I married Bankotsu! I gave up my reign to make him King – _actually_!"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

Kagome looked at him, quite lost. "I thought that was what you would have wanted-"

"That was the _last _thing I-" 

"Don't interrupt me you-"

"How could you think that marrying that asshole would make me-"

"If you'd just listen to-"

"Let me finish-"

"No – _you_ let _me _finish! When you made Bankotsu your right hand man I thought that-"

"That what – quick, better seduce him in case Inuyasha pops his clogs so that I can marry the new-?"

Kagome rose angrily to her feet with a splash to face him. "That's not what I thought! I thought that of all the people in the Kingdom – you'd want him to be the next King! So the only way to make him the next King was for me to-"

"Fuck him?"

Kagome slapped him. It was made all the louder by the fact her hand was as wet as his cheek was. She yanked one of his forelocks of hair to bring his face down to her level so they could trade glares eye to eye. "Are you even listening to me, jerk?"

He didn't reply, but kept glaring.

"Listen then. When you died your mother appointed _me _the regent Queen. And I only managed to survive a week before I started going as cuckoo as you! Everyone including me thought that Bankotsu would make a much better ruler – and that you had him as your captain of the guard was evidence that you believed as much! But the only way to hand him the throne was to marry him… or kill myself…"

Inuyasha pushed her hand gently away from his hair.

"I didn't kill myself… should I have?" she asked defiantly. "I made no secret of the fact I didn't love Bankotsu. We were supposed to get divorced."

Inuyasha tutted and turned away to head back through the stream. "You should have killed yourself."

"Why bother when you were happy to do it for me?" she asked coldly.

She saw him pause, before he continued through the river, moving against the current.

Kagome watched him for a moment before looking back over her shoulder. Were they still being followed? They'd taken to the river so that their tracks would be invisible. Inuyasha believed that the area where the dog fern grew was somewhere further up the river, and when they arrived there, they were safe from harm for the time being.

Kagome started to follow Inuyasha again, but her legs crumbled pathetically under the pressure and she ducked straight back down into the water, sitting on her folded legs with the water up to her shoulders. She gave a small pitiful sigh and stared at her reflection.

Maybe Inuyasha was right… for marrying Bankotsu she was pretty much a scum-sucking bitch…

He was moving back towards her, obviously seeing her trouble, but she didn't look up to acknowledge him as he waded closer. "You're really are pathetic aren't you?" he said gently, crouching down in the water beside her. Kagome made a point to turn her head away from him. She would have carried on ignoring him if he hadn't stuck something under her nose.

Looking down, a small frown worked its way onto her brow. She was looking at a tiny blue flower on a long stem… with a small white centre. She glanced back to face Inuyasha. "What, is this some kind of peace offering?"

"Sort of." He replied evenly, sliding the wiry stem of the flower into her wet hair with one swift motion, too quick to be tender. "Angelfeather. You don't see it growing around this island a lot. It's rare. I found it over there amongst the dog-fern."

Kagome swayed slightly as the current of the river whipped around her. She pulled the flower from her hair and stared at it. For some insane reason she laughed lightly, but caustically. "Bankotsu couldn't tell this flower from a blade of grass." She said bitterly.

Inuyasha bristled at the mere mention of his name. Kagome looked up at him slowly and questioningly. "Why do you care so much? Why do you get jealous?" she said quietly, almost inaudible over the rushing water around them. "No, why do you _act _like you care, yet when I tell you how I feel, all you ever say is something like 'I know'."

The look he gave her was unreadable. She reckoned it was the same one she was giving him, searching for some sign…

"I keep getting the impression you just see me as a friend, and you do all these thoughtful and considerate things for me – like trying to fetch Tenseiga, carrying me through a river, giving me a dumb flower…" she scowled at him slightly. "But then you do things like get jealous and possessive of me… you've always done that… you won't let anyone else come near me if they're male, it's like only _you _are allowed to be with me. But then you confuse me by refusing me."

He looked away, but at least he made no move to walk off like he normally might have done. "I don't want to talk about this." He replied impatiently.

"Well I do." Kagome pressed. "We've said nothing about this for years. I've told you I love you… you know I do… you should know that this isn't some childish crush, or flippant little fancy… I _love _you. The least I deserve is some kind of recognition."

"I know you love me." He said tightly, glaring at the reflections on the water.

"I _know _you know." Kagome answered in the same tone. "And if you don't feel the same I wish you'd just be out front and just say it. If you hate me – just tell me – at least I'll know not to bother you anymore with my childish romances."

"I don't hate you." He sighed, obviously feeling as though he'd told her enough times.

"I know that…"

"Then what do you want me to say?" he shrugged helplessly. "I can't lie to you…"

"Then just tell me what you feel for me?" she asked intently, not sure she was ready for any blunt answers after all. But she was determined to find out the truth. "I need to know… I can take a knock if it isn't what I want to hear."

He didn't answer for a long time, and Kagome's heart was beating like she'd been running across the country all over again. Finally he met her gaze squarely. "I don't love you either… sorry…"

"Don't apologise." She said quickly, feeling as though all her blood had rushed to her head. "It's not your fault. I mean you can't force yourself to love me the same way I can't force myself to fall out of love with you, I guess we're both just helpless that way-"

He kissed her, cutting off her babbling gibberish effectively. She stilled, her entire body frozen in shock as she found herself staring at the pale lashes of his closed eyes. It was a chaste kiss, gentle and supple, not hurried or heated with passion… just savouring. Kagome still didn't move when he eventually pulled back slightly, one hand resting against the juncture of her jaw to her throat.

Kagome stared at him long and hard, nearly speechless. "What-?"

"I've wanted to do that… for a long time…" his eyes traced the line of her throat as she swallowed before meeting her gaze again. "Every time you walk into a room with me in it I can't take my eyes off you… every time you throw your arms around me it takes all my will power to let you go at the end of it. Whenever you lean over my shoulder when I'm working I have to hold my breathe because your scent drives me crazy… it's all I can do to keep from grabbing you sometimes and kissing you senseless. And when we're completely alone, and I know that no one will interrupt us for a while… I always have to leave you because I can't help but want to make stupid bunny love to you… I know you always take that as a bad sign, but I have to leave you or else… you know…"

Kagome felt her cheeks heat up, but couldn't tear her gaze away from his. "What are you saying…?"

"What does it look like I'm saying?" he retorted sharply, a light dusting of pink over his own cheeks. "I'm telling you the truth… isn't that what you wanted to hear?"

Kagome's mouth worked for a moment before she remembered she had a voice. "But… why didn't you tell me?"

"Because if it's not love it's just lust isn't it." He glowered down at the water between them. "And that's not fair to you. You love me, and the least you deserve in return is love or nothing at all."

"I don't need your love – I just want you!" that sounded slightly wanton so she quickly added, "- and your happiness! After all… what's love at the end of the day other than a couple of words that we just say…?"

"It wouldn't be fair to you." He repeated with a weary look. "I don't want to hurt your feelings…"

"You won't if you really care about hurting them." She clasped her hand tightly over his, bringing it over her heart. "Look, I love you so much that my heart still beats this fast even after three years… it's not going to go away any time soon."

He looked dubiously from their hands to her face again. "But-"

"I don't want to hear it." She cut him off. "I don't care if you think you'll hurt my feelings, I've taken too many knocks and beatings in this life to worry about that… I can take it if it just means that you'll let me love you… I've wanted to love you for _so long_."

His gaze fell back to their hands and he seemed hesitant to respond.

"Or are you still worried that I'll betray you again?" She asked tightly.

He sighed and pulled his hand away, averting his gaze for the hundredth time that morning.

Kagome echoed his sigh. "Can you ever forgive the stupid deluded bitch who wandered onto this island and betrayed you twice… three times if you include Bankotsu…?" she whispered tiredly.

He shook his head slowly. "No. I can't, I don't think I ever will."

The tiny pieces of her already over-shattered heart cracked again and whilst she tried to hold her chin up high and not look too miserable, she felt like her whole insides had caved in on themselves.

"But I can forgive Kagome. I already have, and I always will." He gave a small smile. "You're not a deluded bitch and it was never your fault. I shouldn't have punished you for it all."

She gave a wobbly smile. "You don't think I was selfish?" she asked balefully. 

"How could selling your soul to save someone's life be a selfish act?" he shrugged. "Everything after that was just Naraku's fault… or Sesshomaru's."

Without another wasted moment she lurched forward through the water and fell against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders and burying her nose into his neck. "Thank you." She grinned against his skin, and felt him close his arms around her slight form with a sigh. 

Kagome pulled back to face him, and in response felt his arms loosen around her. She tightened her hands on his shoulders. "You don't have to let go anymore…" He could hold her forever if that was really what he wanted. "You don't have to hold back…"

She watched him as he watched her for what seemed like a minute eternity, before Kagome's mind practically shut down as he began kissing her, harder and more demanding than before. She yielded to him completely, letting him take as much as he wanted from her willingly like she'd done so many times in her life.

Unlike the last time with Bankotsu, she responded with equal enthusiasm, her hands twining together behind his neck and into his hair while his roamed her back gently, gripping the material at her waist in bunches, hidden beneath the surface of the water.

Kagome couldn't believe he wasn't pushing her away… she half believed that this was some wonderful dream and she'd wake up a few minutes later in bed, and either everything would be back to normal – no Bankotsu or bad dreams, or she'd wake to find Inuyasha still dead and herself still married to Bankotsu…

Everything was so surreal, the feelings rushing through her veins made her feel dizzy and like her limbs had gained a few pounds. Her heady senses made everything muggy, and the only thing that was clear and focused in her mind were the sensations of touching Inuyasha and being touched by him… the feel of his lips on hers and the bold, yet cautious touch of his tongue against her lips, seeking entrance. She gave it to him without qualm.

His hands had worked their way into the folds of her yukata beneath the water, she almost backed away shyly when she felt his bare touched against her stomach. Almost. But somehow nothing in the world could tear her away at that moment. Her tongue touched against one of his fangs while she felt the light scrape of his claws against the small of her back.

Unconsciously her hands reached up and tweaked his ears with a light giggle when they twitched away and he pulled back. "I ain't Sango's dog, Kagome." He scolded lightly, though he was smiling and just as breathless as she was.

"I just wanted to hear you purr." She pressed feather like kisses to his cheek and down his jaw.

"I'm sure you purr better than I do," he caught her lips again.

Their activities were moving far past familiar territory. The most Kagome had ever done was kiss, however, she knew that Inuyasha had done far more than kissing with other girls… but that had been well before they'd met so she could let him off for that.

The knuckles of his fingers grazed the underside of her breasts and she all but jumped back through the water, and perhaps would have done so if Inuyasha hadn't steadied her by her waist. "Are you sure you want this?" he murmured in question, his fingers tense against her skin.

Kagome already knew her answer to that question. "Are you?" she retorted.

He took one of her hands which rested on his shoulder and brought it down under the water to press against him. Kagome's eyes widened and she swallowed past a newly formed lump in her throat. Yes, he wanted her as much as she wanted him, she _felt _that much. But… "You seem a little on the small-"

"It's very cold water, Kagome." He snapped quickly.

"Oh, right." Butterflies with hobnailed boots were stomping around her insides, yet she still gave in to curiosity and gave him a tentative caress. She didn't bother hiding her smile of delight when she heard him inhale sharply before her… knowing she could affect him so simply…

But suddenly his fingers clenched around her wrist, preventing her from reaching him again. "You didn't answer my question…"

Kagome's smile faded slowly as she looked up at him. A big question in bold letters stood out in her mind. Could she do this? Could she keep on going along the track they were building and risk looking back in regret at terrible mistakes, or could she put a stop to it now and not look back in regret at missed opportunities.

Her gaze faltered to his chest and she drew back slightly, feeling his hand release her wrist. What would happen in a few months… years from now… he didn't love her – so what happened when he found a girl he _could _love. Would she kill herself with heartbreak if he left her for someone else?

But could she pass up the here and the now?

She met his eyes again and something in those molten depths gave her the courage she needed to go on and say, "Yes."

AN: No lemon scene as of yet, but nevermind. Next Chapter – 'The Catapult Theory' Hm… remember that one?


	18. The Catapult Theory

****

Author's Notes: Ok, I'm finally over my writers block (I took some advice by writing out the draft of the rest of the story in quite some detail – so now I know how it ends, and I'm sorry to say that it'll probably be one of the most bitter endings I've ever written… just to warn you. (But remember, I hardly do sad endings _ever _so my most bitter ending might not be as bitter as you'd think.)

And I'm sure a lot of you know what the Catapult theory is (formerly known as the rubber band theory) if you read the last story – but for those who didn't, or need their memories refreshing, here's a little explanation.

****

The Catapult Theory: The pessimistic outlook on life used by Kagome in which she believes all good things come crashing to an amazingly bad end. The good things that happen to her begin to pile up until it seems like everything is going her way and luck is for once on her side (the catapult is pulled back a little further with every good thing that happens). But then it all goes horrible wrong and the catapult snaps back and hits you in the eye (the further it's pulled back ie. the more good things that happen, result in a more painful snap at the end). That is the catapult theory. 

Note: there is no actual catapult, it's just a big metaphor.

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 18

The Catapult Theory

"You seem to be lacking one insane Hanyou and one traumatised human…" Bankotsu ground out as the soldiers trudged towards the palace gates. "Why didn't you find them?"

"We looked everywhere." The leader told him. "We followed the scent trail but they entered a region of dog fern."

"So?" Bankotsu remained clueless.

"Dog fern… scatters and neutralises odours… we couldn't follow them…" The soldier said with a shrug. "Besides, even if we could, they'd entered the Northern territory."

"You should have followed then!"

"And risk being attacked by Northern soldiers – not likely." The soldier snorted impetuously.

There was a flash of metal and the soldier's head fell first to the ground, followed shortly by his body. Bankotsu sighed deeply, looking at the corpse flatly as he returned the sword to its former position on his back. After a moment he glanced up at the seven other soldiers who looked vaguely sombre and angry. "Don't try to be smart with me. It won't work." He told them softly before turning and heading back into the palace.

"We serve Lord Inuyasha. Not some human freak." A soldier muttered for what he thought would have been loud enough to be heard Bankotsu. But Bankotsu had human hearing, and didn't catch the murmured speech. Overall, it spared the soldier's life.

^_^

"I need to know where she is." Bankotsu stated as he entered the cellar room. Renkotsu looked up briefly from the papers he was reading before looking back down at the hand written words.

"I can find that out for you." The monk replied smoothly. "If you give me a minute."

"What are you doing?" Bankotsu asked suspiciously. "You're supposed to be keeping a curse on Inuyasha."

"No point. He's out of range – though I'm working on something else. But this matter," he handed the papers to Bankotsu. "is more interesting."

Bankotsu didn't even look at the papers. "You know I can't read. Don't patronise me."

Renkotsu smiled and took the papers back. "These are… short diary entries written by your sweet wife… she seems to have been keeping a record of her dreams in an attempt to discover their meaning."

"Dreams?" Bankotsu scowled. "I think she told me about those."

"Yes, well I know their meaning now. It took a me a while… but all the signs point to one thing…" Renkotsu told him with a quiet smile.

"Which is?" Bankotsu pressed.

"The location of the curse set upon the Shichinin-tai ten years ago." The monk replied.

"The Northern Palace?" Bankotsu stated.

"Don't be so superficial. Just because the dreams take place in Sesshomaru's Palace doesn't mean that has anything to do with it." Renkotsu told him bluntly. "She stated that she believed the dreams were premonitions… which… I'm sad to say, they were. She dreamt Inuyasha would go insane. That he would get his hands on his brother's sword and that he would take control of the Northern Palace. It's not as bad as it sounds, but he has done all the things he's done in his dreams – save for the hair thing, I don't understand where that came from."

"Yes, but get to the point!" Bankotsu sighed angrily, squatting down before Renkotsu who sat calmly in his meditative pose holding the papers.

"The dreams have two purposes. The first is to tell events of the future… mostly the future involving Inuyasha… the other is to tell the past. Of where the curse was made. It's really obvious now I think about it…"

"What did I just say – tell me where it is!"

"And ruin my moment? Be patient." Renkotsu admonished the younger man. "Her dreams have included a few things that are obviously not part of a premonition… so they must be events of the past. Things such as falling into fire… being swept away by water… earthquakes… being attacked my metal butterflies and… probably the most important of all… standing on the edge of a high up place looking down at the world below."

"You're losing me."

"But it's obvious – the curse was set in the crack in the land – the canyon that divides this island by halfway." Renkotsu's smile widened. "The fire indicates volcanic activity, one which made this island… earthquakes indicate how the canyon was made… and the tidal wave of water is obviously the sea which rushed into the canyon when it was made. The butterflies are an obvious link to the name… Butterfly Canyon… and in her dream when she stood on the roof of the Northern Palace and looked down – that is the same as standing at the top of the canyon looking down."

"That's… that's an awful big assumption." Bankotsu frowned dubiously.

"Trust me. The girl has strange powers of perception… she knows and sees things the rest of us don't. If anyone can tell us where the curse was laid – it's this 'Kagome'. I'd trust her intuition. The curse was set in the Canyon." Renkotsu closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath. "Take her there. If she has a vision in the canyon she will undoubtedly witness the dark miko making the curse on us – she will then know the spoken curse which was laid, and once we have that information we can reverse the curse and restore our unit."

"Yes, but first we have to find her." Bankotsu punched a fist angrily against the low table beside him, making everything on it bounce. "Inuyasha and took her and ran off. She's either dead or… or something…"

Renkotsu opened his eyes to regard his leader. "Oh she's perfectly fine."

Bankotsu snapped a glare on him. "How'd you know?" 

"Because…" he reached behind him to pick up the wooden doll he'd been using. It now had a long, thick white hair wrapped around it several times. "The new curse I've been working on… well, less of a curse and more of a control device. This time instead of taking away his mind… I'll be replacing it… with my own. I tried it earlier but I found he was busy."

"Busy…? Doing what?"

Renkotsu laughed for the first time. "Doing your wife."

Bankotsu stared a moment before grinning. "Oh… and did you stay for the show?"

"Hardly. Earthly pleasures do not entice me as they would most." Renkotsu snorted. "I'm not a pervert."

The Shichinin-tai leader laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Nah, you're just a fool. Well…" Bankotsu stood and headed for the door. "Try the possession again when he's not doing something witch offends you, holy one… I'll be looking to pick up the pieces you leave." He chuckled as he walked out.

Renkotsu returned his gaze to the talisman set on the table. Maybe now would be a good time to try overwhelming Inuyasha's consciousness again?

^_^

Kagome sighed happily as she paddled her feet gently in the cool water of the river. It looked like life was on the upward climb for once. Inuyasha _wasn't _insane, her dreams were nothing but dreams and nightmares – they meant nothing, and soon her dear husband would be kicked off the island so fast he wouldn't know what hit him. 

She turned her gaze upwards to the dappled light filtering through the gaps in the tree canopy above her head. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and for a few moments she could imagine that she had just moved back in time a month or two… when she'd gone walking to the brook and marvelling at how simple life had become. Granted… things weren't at all as simple as they used to be, but how could life be dangerous and complicated when she was just sitting in the sun dipping her toes in a river?

Of course, there was another upside to her life right then. Inuyasha. 

Previously, she'd had no idea that he'd housed such feelings for her… only until he'd basically said it bluntly to her face did she realise that… yes… he _had _always felt that way hadn't he? She seemed to have ignored the fact that the only members of the opposite sex he really got on with was herself, Sango and his mother – the latter being negotiable. Sango was a childhood friend… and Kagome was just as dear, if not more so.

She'd been stupid to have missed the signs… and half the time, she'd misunderstood the signs he let slip, and thought something totally different. Only now did she understand…

Kagome smiled as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. There was really only one word to describe how she was feeling right then… complete. 

Needless to say… she was still having trouble getting over the experience. She'd just shared the most intimate moment of her life with the one person she loved the most. She could never do the same with anyone else. If she'd thought she loved him with all her heart before – that was nothing to what she felt now! She loved him with her hands, her feet, her ears… with more than just the centre of her being. She half didn't want to believe that there was anyone else in the entire world who held more love than she did for her man.

Her life had held no meaning until she'd met Inuyasha – she'd found her pinnacle for existing in him. Whatever made him happy made her happy… she'd do _anything _to make sure he remained that way.

And she'd just have to tell him so when he returned… she glanced around her curiously, trying to remember which way he'd left. He'd complained about some sort of headache and had just staggered off with the parting comment of 'I'm just going to find some Hollowbait, be back in a mo so get ready to head off.'

Hollowbait being a rather strong smelling herb that relieved head pains for a short period of time. It must have been a pretty bad headache if even Inuyasha was distracted by it. She shook off her worry and carried on waiting, he'd be back soon and then they could keep moving towards the Northern Palace, where they were proceed to blackmail and threaten Bankotsu while backed by a very large and powerful army. Then ultimately kick his ass back to whatever hole he'd crawled out of.

It felt great saying that…

She heard footsteps behind her and turned quickly, finding the one person she expected to find. "You took your time." She cocked him a grin. "I thought you might have fallen down a pot hole or something."

For some reason, he didn't smile. Nor did he reach to help her up, even when she held out her hand. Slowly her smile faded and she retracted her hand as she stood up carefully. "What's the matter?" she asked hesitantly, concern tingeing her tone. "What happened-?"

"Nothing." He said abruptly, cutting her off.

She stared at him a moment. She felt like she was staring at a different person. "Then why are you-"

"Why are you sticking your nose in business which doesn't concern you?" He shot back.

Once again, Kagome found herself stumped and speechless. "That's rude." She told him, a faint frown appearing on her face. "What's the matter with you?"

Suddenly he took a step forward and moved to rest his hands on her shoulders. She continued to stare at him, clueless and puzzled to his behaviour… if not a little upset. "Listen Kagome…" he said slowly, as though he was about to say something deep and profound. A tone she didn't really recognise as familiar. "It was a mistake… it shouldn't have happened."

Her breath hitched and she stepped back suddenly, out of his reach. "W-what did you say?"

He rolled his eyes as if losing patience. "You heard me fine, you're just in denial." He admonished. "It can never happen again."

"Why are you saying this?" She could feel herself tearing up, her breathing getting choppy and the moisture beginning to sting her eyes in shame.

"Well I wouldn't be saying this if it had been enjoyable." He shrugged honestly. "But well… you just aren't very good at it. So I don't want to have to endure something that ridiculous again. Ok?"

Kagome took another wavering step back, her head lowered and silent tears beginning to track down her face.

"Oh for the love of god." She heard him groan. "If you're going to be so pathetic as to start crying, you should-"

"Should have known better than to make this mistake?" she slipped the words into his mouth quietly. She raised her chin to look at him, but still saw the cold, uncaring look in his eyes. Without another word she turned and walked away, hurt more by the fact that he didn't try to stop her. And when she'd walked so far as to be out of sight, she began to run. 

Her thoughts fled faster than her feet and soon she was running through the forest, pretty much blinded by her own tears and sobbing freely. Her shoulder hit the trunk of a tree and she fell forward onto her knees, but she quickly scrambled up and ran on, ignoring the throbbing pain in her arm. Where was she going now? She had no one left to take her in… no where to go…

She hated him! She really hated him! But only because she loved him so much it could only be him who broke her this badly. After all he'd said… after all he'd done – he had the nerve to turn around and say that to her face?! She couldn't stand him…

Maybe he was insane again. Maybe they'd accidentally stepped back into range of the curse. Although, when she'd looked into his eyes she'd seen perfect mental balance… no insanity… maybe a little _too _balanced for her liking… he wasn't himself. Well whatever it was, he could deal with it himself. Then he could come apologise to her at… wherever she was heading…

Somehow she found herself back at the Canyon. A not so strange sense of déjà vu hit her as she crumpled to her knees a few feet from the cliff edge. Below the water sighed distantly and the air whistled along the crags and cracks in the rock faces. It did little to calm her rattled nerves, but she couldn't run anymore.

How could he do that?

She'd given herself to him completely. She'd opened up with all honesty and hidden nothing from him. It was impossible to hide your true nature when you were that close to someone, showing him a side of her that she'd never shown anyone else. Showing him her love. For him to reject that was worse than just rejecting her before this. For him to blatantly snub her after being so open plain stung. No… it was devastating…

"He has to be insane…" she whispered brokenly to herself. "He has to be…"

She was going to cling to that hope. It just wasn't Inuyasha's nature to be so cruel. Not after he'd promised not to hurt her… And if he was insane that meant she was safer staying away from him for now.

But where was she supposed to go now?

"Fancy finding you here. All alone."

Kagome's hands moved to her face as she inwardly screamed at all the unfairness of the world. Why… of all people… did it have to be Bankotsu who found her in the middle of the wilderness. "Wonderful… why does everything bad have to happen to me…?"

"I think that's what they call karma."

She heard the crunching dry earth beneath his feet as he moved towards her. She didn't move or bother getting up. What was the point? She was done for now…

"And snap goes the catapult." She whispered to no one but herself.

^_^

"You have to stop worrying or you'll stress the baby out too." Miroku tried to console his wife, but she ignored him in favour of ringing her hands and continually keep watch out of the window.

"Miroku – are you telling me I shouldn't be worried that an insane Inuyasha has kidnapped Kagome and taken her to god knows where to do god knows what?!" she shot him a glare that he avoided.

"Well… Kagome's a resourceful girl. I'm sure she'll be ok. Inuyasha would never hurt her intentionally anywhere." He pointed out.

"That doesn't reassure me." She said quietly.

Fushi, who had been watching the conversation pass between the two adults like a spectator at a tennis match finally decided it was time to put in his own opinion. "Maybe that monk knows something."

"What monk?" Miroku asked absently, not really paying attention.

"The one in the cellar." Fushi scowled at his father. Hadn't he already told them a hundred times.

"Listen, Fushi." Miroku sighed and turned to him. "The monk isn't really down there. The same why the wolf isn't really up the chimney. And the clown fool isn't in the cupboard at night in your room. They don't exist. The same way the fey who comes to take your teeth doesn't exist."

"Shh!" Sango whacked her husband on the shoulder. "He's too young to know-"

"I already know they don't exist." Fushi interrupted baldly. "But the monk does."

"Eh?" both parents looked at him.

"Well… 'coz Bankotsu was talking to him too… so he's real." Fushi looked at his stupefied parents. "Isn't he?"

^_^

The door crashed open and a deathly silence followed before Fushi piped up. "I told you he was down here, didn't I?"

Miroku narrowed his eyes slightly on the monk who was too busy meditating to realise that his room had been broken into. "Fushi, go tell your mother, she'll be in Lady Inu's room."

"But-"

"Just go!" he gave the boy a gentle, but firm nudge away from the doorway.

"Fine…" the kid sulked and tottered off. Miroku waited until he was sure the boy was gone before entering the room. Being in the religious field himself, he already knew some of the tricks he was looking at. A wooden doll on the table, similar to puppet projection, was emanating a rather strong spell or some kind of curse. A single pure white strand of hair was wrapped like a skein around the little figure. Around the head more precisely.

And it was all being channelled through the obliviously meditating monk sitting at the table.

"So… a spell that takes away the mind?" Miroku reached down and picked up the doll. Beyond the table, the monk stirred slightly from his tranquillity, evidently sensing the disturbance. "Crude. But effective I suppose."

Miroku was just picking up the old plain katana in the corner of the small room when Renkotsu opened his eyes. "What the hell are you doing in-"

He didn't say anything more. Miroku had swung the katana.

^_^

Inuyasha took a sharp intake of breath and awareness came flooding back to him. He stood frozen, not quite sure how he'd ended up where he was.

"Lord Inu… just put the knife down!"

Inuyasha jumped a startled look towards the group of people gathered around the entrance of the throne room, all looking at him anxiously. He then jerked an even more startled look to the knife in his hand that was poised at his own throat. "Ah!" 

He yelped and let the weapon drop to the ground with a clatter. "Damn… I was about to kill myself?!"

"Lord Inu!" the people at the entrance of the throne room started to rush forward. Inuyasha instinctively took a few steps back to avoid the crush. It only took a moment to look around and realise he was back in the Northern palace… though… how the hell had he gotten here?

The last thing he remembered was… was saying something to Kagome about a headache cure…

"Kagome…" His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered. Where was she? Why wasn't she with him?

-_-

Sango looked up when Miroku entered the royal chamber. Her look was questioning. "I've dealt with it." Miroku responded lightly, glancing down with a smile at where Fushi was playing with Reiko on the floor. Sango just nodded seriously and turned back to Lady Inu.

"She seems to be coming out of it." She told Miroku quietly. "I'm beginning to wonder if there's some kind of connection between her illness… and the strange things that have been going on lately."

"Probably." he nodded as he came to stand beside the chair she was sat in. "Why don't you try waking her up?"

Sango hesitated a moment before leaning forward and gently shaking Lady Inu's shoulder. "Your Highness… it's time to get up."

Lady Inu's response was to shift restlessly against the covers and against Sango's hand on her shoulder. It was a few moments before she'd roused herself enough to open her eyes and fix a fairly blurred and unfocused gaze on the two people beside her bed. "What…" she croaked quietly. "What's going on?"

"Bankotsu's a traitor." Miroku told her bluntly.

"Really?" Lady Inu rasped, squinting at him.

"He's been consorting with an evil guy in the cellar who put a curse on your son." Sango told her quickly. "We only just realised… but now Inuyasha's kidnapped Kagome and taken off into the wilderness with her."

"And Bankotsu's the new ruler." Miroku popped in helpfully.

"Because we thought Inuyasha was dead."

"We had a funeral and everything."

"But then he came back." Sango nodded. "And he was still insane."

"And then he left again."

"And then he came back and kidnapped Kagome."

"You already said that." Miroku reminded her.

"Oh yeah…"

Lady Inu stared at them. "What are you blabbering on about. Who's Bankotsu?"

Sango and Miroku both stared at her in disbelief before eventually Sango looked up at Miroku. "She doesn't remember…"

AN: Ok, shorter chapter today – but at least I'm past the writer's block. (might explain why such a crappy chapter. Anyway, next chapter – 'A Curse in Reverse'


	19. A Curse in Reverse

****

Author's Notes: I suppose we're nearing the climax of the story now and the end as well, I'm afraid. You have to forgive the corny title of this chapter (sorry)

And the chapters are getting shorter – mostly because I'm still wrestling with this writer's block – but it means that there will be a few more chapters than expected. I originally predicted 21 chapters… but I think it'll be more like 22 or 23.

Sorry (again) about the shortness, but I decided it was best to give you what I'd already written, instead of making you wait around for ages for a slightly longer chapter. 

Now when I said this was going to have a 'bitter' ending – remember that bitter isn't necessary a sad ending. I'm not saying it's going to smiles and laughter all round… I'm just saying it's not going to end happily for everyone. 

(And special thanks to starhealer – that's the longest review I've had! It took a while to read – but I was smiling the whole time and now my cheeks hurt… anyway… better get back to the fic)

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 19

A Curse in Reverse

"Let go of me! Bastard!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs and she struggled valiantly. But with Bankotsu's arm clamped tightly around her slight form, trapping her own arms against her as he carried her on his shoulder, she wasn't succeeding in breaking free any time soon.

"Who knew you were this much of a wild cat?" Bankotsu taunted slightly as he jostled her easily to his other shoulder. Kagome didn't like struggling so much on this new shoulder, as it put her face dangerously close to the shiny blade edge of his oversized sword.

"I know who you are!" she yelled, kneeing him periodically in the chest and sometimes getting an elbow in his ear. He ignored her surprisingly well. "I know what you are! You're one of these Shichinin-tai! Inuyasha told me about you guys! How you set up the old Lord Inu against the dark miko so that they killed each other!"

"You've been doing your homework." He grinned and patted her on the behind, much to her chagrin. "There's a good girl."

"You're sick – a-and you're a zombie!" she tried to twist off his shoulder. "Where the hell are you taking me?!"

"Down to the Canyon." He replied smoothly.

"Why?!"

"Do I have to explain everything?" he growled suddenly, and Kagome yelped as she found herself slipping from his shoulder… and over the cliff above the canyon – until she felt Bankotsu's solid hand catch her ankle to keep her from descending any further.

It took all her courage not to scream… but then again, she probably couldn't manage it. There was a lump so big in her throat that she had trouble breathing enough as it was. Looking up… or rather, down, she could see the dizzying drop below… all the way down to the wide valley with the calm green waters that had spilled into it. Along the cliff faces she saw the vegetation and the plant life, and swarms of butterflies that looked like slow moving locusts from this height.

"Do you want to take the short cut down?" Bankotsu asked reasonably. "Or will you behave and let me carry you down like two civilised people."

"Except you're a civilised person who probably… plans to murder me horribly at the bottom…" she swallowed with difficulty, the blood rushing straight to her head as she closed her eyes tightly.

"Don't be so hasty." He lifted her away from the edge, to her intense relief, and pulled her back over his shoulder.

She resumed struggling regardless of what he'd said. He wouldn't drop her if he wasn't planning to kill her. So she could kick and punch him as much as she damn well liked!

"You must be crazy if you think you can get away with this!" she hissed angrily at him, pulling on his braid mercilessly. "Soon everyone will discover you for the fraud you are and you won't have a leg to stand on! They'll find out that it was _you _who made Inuyasha go insane – when in actual fact he's perfectly fine! They'll all seek vengeance for him when they discover you framed his death!"

"Nag, nag, nag, that's all you wives do isn't it?"

"You must have been one hell of a deluded fool if you thought that it would be a piece of cake!" She began plucking individual hairs from the back of his neck. He ground his teeth but ignored it. "A human – taking over an island full of Inu Youkai! Just so you could have your own band of powerful minions! You're crazy!"

Suddenly he laughed, distracting her from her work on creating a bald spot. "You think that's been my goal all along? To conquer this island and force the people into slavery?" He laughed again.

"Well… I did… until you laughed evilly like that." She said timidly.

"No, that was just fun and games. My real business is elsewhere."

"F-fun and games?!" she stammered. "You mean you ruined our lives just for your amusement?!"

"Well. Yes."

"I hate you."

"I guess now would be a good time to file for that divorce, huh?" he chuckled.

Kagome steamed quietly to herself for a few minutes as they started to descend down a winding path in the cliff face itself. Eventually she plucked up her courage to go with her curiosity. "So… what _is _your real business then?" she asked curtly.

"Well, seeing as you asked so politely," he hefted her slightly, "I'll tell you. You've heard of the dark miko Tsubaki, right?"

"The one who captured Lord Inu." Kagome said darkly. "The one who put him in a cage for six months before he finally died. The one Inuyasha killed. Yes, I've heard of her."

"Good. Then you know half the story already." He said breezily. "In this very valley, a decade ago, she put a curse on the Shichinin-tai. She removed half our strength and ultimately the curse killed each of us simultaneously."

"Oh, boo hoo."

"Quiet!" Bankotsu jolted her painfully. "As you probably know, we were revived by Lord Inu… but not entirely grateful. But now our numbers our dwindling again… as we are still only at half strength."

"How many of you is left then?" Kagome asked seriously.

Bankotsu didn't speak for a while. Until eventually he gave a thin-lipped smile. "Just me, I think. Renkotsu seems to have disappeared. I can't feel his presence on this island anymore. Coward probably ran away though."

Kagome gave a short, humourless laugh. "You're alone – you'll die alone for what you've done!"

"If you speak out of turn one more time, Kagome, I'll slam you so hard against this rock wall beside us you'll get cranial damage. Now _shut up_." Kagome fell silent, because she didn't doubt for a minute that he wouldn't at least use an excuse to hurt her. "Now where was I…?" he started again. "Oh yes. There is a way to revive all the dead members of my band, and restore them all to full strength – no – twice their original strength! And that is to reverse the curse."

"So why haven't you done that already?" a reasonable question, and not out of turn in the least. But he still brought her before him for a moment to smack her around the head for speaking. She bit down on her lip to keep the pain from being voiced, and dizzily closed her eyes when she was placed back on his shoulder. Bankotsu, the ever smooth business man.

"The curse was never written down, and I have never personally heard the incantation. So the only way to learn the verses… would be to go back in time." He told her calmly. "That's where you come in, Kagome dear. You shall hear the curse spoken and then you will perform the counter curse – since you are the only one with miko powers I believe."

"I don't have miko powers…" Kagome said somewhat bitterly. "Only greenfingers."

"Yeah, I know all about how you can stick your finger tips into the ground and make grass spring out across barren earth. But you must have some sort of power… or else, how would you be able to do these things?" he pointed out. "You'll perform the counter curse and the Shichinin-tai will once more be the formidable band it used to be…"

"I'll _never_ help you…" Kagome hissed quietly. "Inuyasha will come for me – and then you'll pay."

"He's not coming. He's probably dead by now." Bankotsu snorted contemptuously. 

"What?" Kagome squirmed restlessly. "He's fine! He's safe in the Northern Kingdom – and when he comes looking for me he'll get you good!" Hopefully… that was only if he cared enough to help her out.

"Whatever. In the long run, he's just one little Hanyou trying too hard to compensate for his father's life work." The Shichinin-tai leader scoffed. "He can't stop me – because in all likeliness, he's been dead for a good half hour now."

(Like that would ever happen)

^_^

Mikato was lost. Well… at least very confused. He'd been out of the loop for quite some time seeing as how Inuyasha had sent him months ago to the Northern Kingdom to act as a spy for the South – worming his way into position of captain of the guard again, this time for Sesshomaru.

But then the new guy, Suikotsu, had arrived and suddenly the whole operation had been blown to bits. All messages and links to the Southern Kingdom had been severed and poor Mikato had been stranded in the North, surrounded by Sesshomaru's men and working for a human King. All the other spies had been discovered and thrown out, or killed. Mikato had escaped both fates… seeing as Inuyasha was the only person in the world who knew who he was, and where he was.

It had been one _very_ happy day when Inuyasha had marched through those throne room doors and sliced off the hard head of Suikotsu. Finally! A King he liked! A few things had been explained, but he'd understood that Inuyasha was very pressured at the time, and so many things had been left unsaid.

The King had disappeared for a short while, only to return now.

He hadn't said a word. He'd just ignored the servants and guards as he'd strode through the gates to the throne. He'd taken the knife off one of the guards and brought it to his own throat. Suicide?

But then at the last moment he seemed to have awoken out of his trance and dropped the knife rather hurriedly. He'd said one thing.

"Kagome…"

Then he'd ran away again, stealing one of the fastest horses from the stables and ignored everyone's pleas that he stay and explain.

So Mikato was, once more, feeling as though he was being kept in the dark all over again. What the hell was going on?

^_^

"How do we explain this all to her?" Sango asked Miroku outside Lady Inu's door. They'd left her alone to get some rest after that initial awakening, but now they were fretting over how to break the news to her that her son was no longer King, Inuyasha may have killed Kagome, Bankotsu was a traitor… and worst of all… Kagome hadn't married Inuyasha – she'd married Bankotsu (a man the queen didn't remember and knew nothing of).

The Queen was _not _going to be very happy to learn that.

"Just start from the beginning." Miroku said calmly. "She doesn't remember anything unusual. She thinks Inuyasha is still the King and that Kagome is still ordinary little Kagome. She doesn't remember Bankotsu arriving… a lot of her memory is gone, so we have to break it all gently."

"How do we break it gently that her insane son may have killed Kagome?" Sango frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe that's jumping too far ahead though…?"

"Let's not tell her that bit." Miroku said quickly. "Just tell her… Kagome was taken away by Inuyasha – don't say the words 'insane', 'kidnap', 'marriage' or 'dead' in the same sentence. We'll just confuse her."

"Maybe you should go explain?" Sango nudged him towards the door.

"She knows you better – you go." Miroku opened the door and by pure slight of hand managed to nudge Sango in before him. "Lady Inu – Sango has something to tell you… oh… who's this?"

Lady Inu was already sitting up in bed, wide awake and as healthy looking as she normally was. Sitting on her legs over the blankets was a small boy, with a rather plush, fluffy tail.

"A… a squirrel got in?" Sango guessed.

The kid's expression suddenly took a downfall. "I'm a Kitsune!"

Lady Inu smiled at the couple as she continued to pet the boy's tail. "Shippo's been filling me in on the details… unlike some people who tend to beat around the bush." She gave them both a pointed look. "So… Inuyasha was insane. Kagome's married to Bankotsu and Sesshomaru has gone and an even worse enemy has arrived. Hm. Well, I think I understand…"

^_^

"Now… once again…" Bankotsu released Kagome's hair, allowing her to slump forward against the dry earth, small splatters of her own blood changed speckles of sandy golden ground to damp crimson. She coughed again, raising a shaky hand to her mouth to clear the blood away that was dribbling down her chin.

"Do the vision." He said evenly.

"I-I told you… I can't force it." Her voice came out with a slight lisp. It was hard to talk when you couldn't feel your tongue anymore. "It happens on its own."

"That's not what I wanted to hear, wifey." His leant down to fist his hand back in her hair, dragging her back up to her knees despite her screamed protests. They were quickly cut short when he smacked her hard across the face, adding bruise on top of bruise.

He released her again and Kagome draped herself forward, unable to make another sound. It seemed oddly peaceful. The water that consumed most of the base of the valley lapped gently against the banks a few metres away. She could hear the birds singing their high pitched, sweet sounding melodies in the trees around the edge of the valley. Maybe if she could open her eyes she'd see how tranquil it all looked with the butterflies fluttering between the trees and the sunlight streaming in separate shafts and rays from the vaguely visible sky above them.

Her peace was shattered when Bankotsu's hand gripped the back of her yukata and dragged her once more to her knees. Her head lolled forward uselessly as her dirty, scratched hands clasped tightly at the front of her clothes, trying desperately to hold the folds together… any more of this rough treatment and they'd just slide off her shoulders. Being pulled up and down, then kicked back and forth had loosened her obi dramatically… and that was the only thing holding her yukata together beside her hands.

"Now I'll try again." Bankotsu said calmly, a touch of amusement in his tone. "Hurry up and have a vision… or unfortunately I'll be forced to hit you again."

Forced? That was a laugh! He was enjoying this… 

"No?" he asked, before sighing. "Then I have no choice."

She was dropped back down to the ground and kicked in the head. Not a very hard blow, considering a real kick would probably shatter her skull – and that would do Bankotsu no good. But it still hurt… though not enough to knock her unconscious. Pain shot through her entire body and she curled in on herself, cradling her head with her arms against her knees. She'd already pleaded with him to stop… it hadn't worked. So she didn't bother crying or begging more than once. In her experience with bad guys, she knew that her petty human tears would no sooner move them than a little puff of a breeze. Unlike Inuyasha.

A foot pushed her forcefully in the side, rolling her onto her back. For a second she thought he might be getting ideas as he crouched down beside her. She could hear him fiddling with something. After a moment, something incredibly strong and fowl smelling was pushed under her nose. She gave a startled cry and rolled away from him, clamping a hand over her nose and mouth to escape that noxious smell.

"This is poison Kagome." He told her conversationally. "About two hours after you eat this, you will die a rather horrible death. It will burn a hole through your stomach, and your own digestive acids will burn out your insides. It'll be like… eating yourself, I suppose. Not a pleasant way to die, I assure you."

"You can't threaten me…" she rasped. "If I die, you're stuck."

"Yet it has an interesting side affect." He continued. "About five or six minutes after you eat this, you will tell me anything I want to know. You will do anything I ask and just to make me extra happy, you'll die at the end of it."

Kagome stiffened. 

"Now that's the nasty way." Bankotsu told her. "However, if I give you this substance here," she didn't see what he held since she couldn't open her eyes. "You will still obey me, slightly more effectively than the nasty way, but you won't die through it. This is the pleasant way."

"You hate me… you choose." She choked out.

"I don't hate you." A lot of people told her that, but it always seemed otherwise. "I just see you as a means to an end. Really, I will just as happily give you the pleasant way. Besides, if I give you the bad stuff and you don't tell me what I want to know within two hours, I'll be back to square one with a dead you on my hands."

"Why didn't you feed it to me earlier?" Though she knew why. Any excuse to use her as a punching bag.

"I have my reasons," he responded, before grabbing the back of her yukata and dragging her back towards him.

But for once she resisted him.

"Son of a bitch!" she yelled and aimed a kicked for his head. Her body twisted, even as he held the back of clothes… the result was that he blocked her kick with his arm, and her clothing ripped. It had been her favourite yukata as well, she thought with dismay.

This, she had hoped at least would cause Bankotsu to blush and fumble like a clumsy teenage boy who'd seen a bit too much cleavage… but unfortunately Bankotsu was a full grown man, a trained killer and… well… probably gay. In a rather business like manner he grabbed her bare arm and dragged her up again, pushing something dry, but less strong smelling against her lips. "Swallow." He instructed shortly.

Kagome jerked her head to the side, dislodging whatever it was against her mouth. Before he had a chance to persist in giving her the truth serum of sorts, she hocked back all the blood and saliva that had crowded her mouth and spat it in his face. 

For a moment he did nothing until she felt his fist thud against her ribs. A few gave way to him, and she felt the solid, painful cracks as a few bones rearranged themselves. It was suddenly that much harder to breathe and she could literally _taste _the metallic feeling of blood rising up her throat from her lungs.

She cried out, but it was broken, and more of a groan. But she was determined to live… she wouldn't let the pain get the better of her. She coughed and it nearly brought her down… but she wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her cry in pain like a baby.

She couldn't stop him when he pushed something that felt like an acorn rapped in dry, prickly cloth between her parted lips and into her bloodstained mouth. He forced it shut and pinched her nose. He was going to suffocate her if she didn't swallow. She didn't care, she would _not _swallow it.

"If you don't do it, you'll die." He said briskly. "Are you willing to test that claim?"

She opened her eyes for a fraction of a moment. He was smiling. The blood she'd spat at him had splattered across his cheek and mouth. He hadn't even bothered to wipe it away, as if he didn't notice it. Her eyes slid close again and she tried to fight the automatic swallowing reflex.

But in the end her own body betrayed her, and she inwardly screamed in pure anger as… whatever it was… slid down her throat after one big gulp. He released her and she hastily dragged in as much air as possible.

"Five minutes." He said simply and turned his back on her. "Then you'll do all I ask."

Maybe she could deliberately cause herself to wretch… bring up the stupid acorn and keep on eluding him. But she could barely summon the energy to sit up. She just continued to lay sprawled on her back, trying hard not to even twitch a muscle in case it aggravated a broken rib. She tried to feel around to count the broken bones in her chest… only two. That was good news at least.

Kagome let her hand drop back to her side and let the peacefulness of the Butterfly Canyon wash over her. The sounds of Bankotsu's distant pacing was getting even more distant. The birds seemed to be getting further away, the same way the lapping waters on the banks of the reservoir seemed to be retreating.

__

What does it mean?

"I don't know…" she said thickly, her voice sounding strange to her own ears.

__

They'll kill you if you don't understand.

Kagome's head moved from side to side weakly. The curse. He had to be talking about the curse. She had to understand the curse otherwise Bankotsu would kill her… But she wouldn't understand. She couldn't… even if it were possible she'd refuse to help that murderer.

__

You'll die.

"I don't care." Kagome scowled deeply. She'd _never_ help Bankotsu… even if it meant her life.

__

You don't understand. You'll die now… but you won't understand. He tried to tell you… you just weren't listening.

Tell her what? Kagome opened her eyes slightly to stare upwards into the deep blue sky way above her. But all she saw was Inuyasha's room as though she were standing up and looking straight at said boy in his hastily assembled cage. That felt weird, considering she was lying down.

__

"…It's like you think love is some highly sought after level of ascension or higher emotion when in fact it's just liking someone in friendship and in the romantic way…"

Kagome frowned and quickly closed her eyes, banishing the image from her eyes and Inuyasha's cruel voice from her ears. She didn't want to hear that again… hear him brand love as some rudimentary emotion that _anyone _was capable of feeling. That it wasn't special. That she was a fool to believe in it.

Well she doubted if Bankotsu ever felt love. She doubted that if love didn't exist than she wouldn't be fighting this hard to keep from helping the Shichinin-tai. She'd die first. For Inuyasha. If this wasn't true love then so be it… Kagome was a fool. But she knew her heart and she knew that the only fool here was Inuyasha…

Sweet, stupid Inuyasha…

"Time's up." Bankotsu stalked back towards her until his shadow fell over her. She felt the heat of the sun escape and cringed away. "Now let's talk."

AN: Climax definitely approaching now – stay tuned!


	20. Persuasion

****

Author's Notes: Normal length chapter for once, and I'm recovering from the writer's block quite nicely.

Story should be finished soon and that frustrating question that begins with 'What' shall be answered… next chapter.

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 20

Persuasion 

"Get up."

"Can't." Kagome didn't move an inch from her position on the ground. Her head was swimming and she couldn't tell where his voice was coming from anymore. "Go figure."

She heard him shift above her, seconds before his hands grabbed her upper arms and forced her into a sitting position. Her head rolled with pain and her ribs screamed in agony… but she only grimaced slightly at his rough handling. "Now look here Kagome, I gave you the nice stuff – it shouldn't be causing you any pain."

"Well here's a shock – broken ribs hurt just as much as burning holes in the stomach." Purely a wild speculation since she didn't have first hand experience of burning holes in the stomach… there was still time though.

"Give me a vision, Kagome." He instructed firmly. "And I swear on my honour as a member of the Shichinin-tai that if you do as I ask then I will spare your life."

"Your honour…?" she murmured. "Your honour means nothing. Your honour is worthless, you'd kill me when its over, no matter what you promised on your honour."

"You can see I married you for your brains, didn't I?" he remarked dryly. "Now open your eyes."

They'd slid open before she could even think about disobeying. She tried to shut them again tightly, but all she managed was a feeble blink. How was it that her own body obeyed Bankotsu… and not herself.

"Now have a vision." He said evenly.

Kagome opened her mouth to try and speak, but no words came out. Her eyes slid close and for a split second she faded into darkness. But she was just as quickly slipping back into consciousness, finding herself being pulled along the ground by Bankotsu. "Fancy taking a swim?" he asked with a humoured laugh. 

Kagome didn't get a chance to answer when she found herself on the bank of the reservoir. Her eyes only relayed fleeting images to her brain. The cracked golden earth of the bank next to her head. The sensation of her hair being pulled roughly once more, as though threatening to scalp her. The blurred surface of the water getting too close. Then all she saw was the murky green as her head was shoved under the water.

She nearly sucked in a lung full of water, and felt her panic rise. She was yanked up quickly and took in a screaming breath of air. No sooner had she recovered than she was pushed back under. She caught snippets of Bankotsu talking to her.

"I'll give you more time." He said, in-between dunking her head. "Maybe the serum hasn't taken affect yet. But it will. You won't resist this."

Kagome was too weak to physically resist anything right then. She grew limp as time went on. Her head hurt badly… like her brain had been knocked loose and was rattling around with each thrust under the water's surface.

__

He laughed at you because you didn't understand…

She spluttered and gasped as she surfaced again, beginning to feel the sting of the salty water against her split lip and numerous cuts across her face.

__

He told you because he knew you wouldn't understand…

Bankotsu finally grew bored with the head dunking and pulled her back onto the bank where she sprawled out on her side, cold wet and shivering intensely. His voice was too distant and muffled to make any sense of. All she heard was a dull roaring noise in her ears that thudded in time to her heart beat. It seemed a bit slow…

__

That's why it was funny to him. He made fun of your blindness.

"I don't… I don't understand…" she rasped. Clumps of hair were plastered across her face and sticking to her neck. She curled herself up into a ball, wrapping her arms tightly over her bare chest in an attempt to conserve some heat… her sense of modesty had become irrelevant a long time ago.

__

You'll know what it meant.

"What…" Kagome frowned slightly, in a mixture of pain and confusion. "What does it… mean?"

"Perhaps now you'll be more co-operative." Bankotsu's hands clasped around her cold, wet shoulders and pulled her upright. Her head lolled for a moment until she forced herself to gain some control and wearily open her eyes to fix a blurred gaze on him. "Give me a vision Kagome. Tell me the curse… tell me the verses."

__

Even if he didn't…

She looked to the side for a moment, listlessly staring at a green blur in the distance. A tree maybe. She swung her head back lethargically to face Bankotsu again. "I'll die first."

Her mind went blank for a moment as her senses completely scattered when she felt his heavy blow to her head. Her neck snapped backwards with whiplash from the impact and she lost consciousness again for perhaps three seconds. Somehow she reeled herself back in and lifted her head to look at him again. All she saw was a flesh coloured blur with some black fuzz that was probably hair. Who was he again?

Her strength failed her and she slumped forward against him, coughing and staining his pristine white kimono a dirty blood red. He sighed near her ear and suddenly she found herself shoved back to the ground. "If you want a shoulder to cry on you should go to Inuyasha, not me."

Ah… Inuyasha… now she remembered the reason why she was being awkward with Bankotsu. It gave her some more resolve, strengthened her will to resist and made her heart swell with pain and love. She'd do anything for him… anything to make him happy, at peace, complete… et cetera. Perhaps she'd been a little selfish that morning… she'd taken him completely and fooled herself into thinking he was offering her love.

What was the difference between lust and love anyway? It felt the same… so what did it matter? He didn't treat her any differently for it… he still cared about her, with the love of a friend if nothing else. It felt like love… so she'd pretended it was.

And now she'd pretend that he'd gone insane afterwards. His harsh rejection had been the result of some curse set by that Renkotsu… even though that person was supposedly dead or missing now.

Perhaps she was the only fool here. Maybe she'd give in to Bankotsu and tell him what he wanted to know.

"Now will you do as I say now?" The leader of the one man band asked from somewhere above her.

Kagome chuckled to herself. One man band… did that make him the only member of the new Ichinin-tai? 

"Kagome." He said warningly.

Kagome's expression fell and she snapped a remarkably focused gaze on him. "I'll never help you. I'm sick of people like you trying to use me and my powers to help yourself and harm Inuyasha! I will not betray him! I will not! You can kill me and I will never tell you anything! You can torture me for eternity but I will never hurt him again! I won't help you revive six murdering lunatics just because they're your friends! I'LL NEVER HELP YOU! I WON'T BETRAY HIM! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEV-"

****

"Shut up already!" Bankotsu clapped a hand over her mouth to get her to quieten down. It seemed he'd underestimated how much fire she still had left within her. She bit down hard on his hand, hard enough to draw blood despite her fangless mouth.

"Bitch." He griped, drawing his hand back and shaking away the pain. Kagome's head fell back against the ground, her sudden outburst beginning to take its toll on her energy reserves.

"I don't get it…" Bankotsu stood and paced some more. "You should be obeying me… that's one of the most powerful truth serums in the land… how are you resisting?"

Kagome's eyes closed gently. She just wanted to sleep.

"Perhaps because you have miko powers… it's resisting the drug." He finally concluded.

Kagome's face twisted slightly. "Don't insult me. That's as good as saying Kikyo is protecting me… no… this is all me. This is my will…"

"And there you go with the righteous blah, blah, blah… whatever." He rolled his eyes and crouched down to somewhat gently pull her upright again. "Now Kagome, you know I won't kill you. All I want you to do is help my men… the miko preyed on them and killed them. An abominable act. She killed my men. She killed Inuyasha's father. Shouldn't we both get our vengeance and do this together? Haven't you ever heard that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"

Kagome sighed and patted a hand clumsily against his face. "I don't believe in that. I think any enemy of my enemy is lower down on the evil scale than my first enemy."

"You what?"

"I didn't marry you for your brains obviously." She retorted.

His hands tightened against her shoulders and she thought for a moment he'd rip her apart with his bare hands that very moment. But instead he jerked her around to face away from him. "Give me a vision! Or perhaps I will not kill you at all – but your friends instead! The little human boy you seem fond of! The mother of the boy – the father of the boy! I'll kill each of them if you do not obey me!"

Kagome swallowed hard. "Empty threats." She whispered quietly. But she was nervous now.

"I don't need them, so they're disposable." He replied tersely.

"I won't help you." But even as she said it she felt hot lights flash behind her closed eyes. "I won't help you! No!"

When she opened her eyes again it was all in black and white blurs. No colour. The trees and vegetation looked younger. The tide was higher in the reservoir and the leaves were beginning to flutter off the trees… she was watching the Canyon as it was ten years ago, some time at the beginning of autumn.

Bankotsu seemed to have stopped bugging her. It was as though he could sense her attention was suddenly consumed elsewhere. With a vision perhaps?

Well that was exactly the case.

Kagome's eyes were drawn to a moving dark blur a few metres away. She squinted and tried to focus, eventually succeeding.

She recognised the woman. She'd already had two visions of her in the past – and knew this was the same woman who had helped capture Lord Inu and entrap him. Young looking. Beautiful. Definitely a miko – though a miko who wore black robes to honour her ally… darkness and evil.

The woman moved towards the bank of the reservoir only scant feet away from where Kagome sat propped upright by Bankotsu. She could feel his hands continuing to hold her up, but when she glanced down she couldn't see any sign of him… but she still felt him.

Meanwhile the miko had closed her eyes as she knelt down at the waters edge. She leaned forward and dipped the tip of her fingers into the water, barely creating any ripples in the process. Kagome heard her take a deep breath and released it in a sigh.

"_Caedo… oro… occidere… manesium… ossis…_"

Kagome nearly laughed. She didn't understand! The woman was speaking another language, disjointed, but lyrical to the ear. Bankotsu expected her to recite it all backwards? Hah! She couldn't even say it forwards! She didn't even remember the first line of her verses.

"What's so funny?" Bankotsu said somewhere behind her, and she realised she must have sniggered at least.

"You're a dead man… I can't help you…" she said bluntly. "Nevermind huh?"

"What do you see?" he shook her roughly.

"A woman speaking something strange! I don't even know if its of this world – I don't understand what she's saying!" Kagome cried out, her voice still hoarse and rough. "You obviously haven't thought this through."

"Fucking bitch!" Bankotsu shoved her to the ground and kicked her soundly in the stomach.

Kagome grunted and curled in on herself, attempting to block his kicks, but failed somewhat. Eventually he gave up and let her be, stomping off to let off some steam if any of the crashing and smashing sounds she heard were any indication. Yet the miko a few feet away was still reciting her incantation, eyes closed and a look of deep concentration on her face.

Kagome focused on her face and stared at her shamelessly. Well why not? It was only rude unless they noticed. And as Kagome watched… the miko seemed to age. Lines appeared around her mouth and forehead, and crows feet appeared at the corner of her eyes. It became more pronounced as the minutes wore on. Her cheeks sagged with age, and with it, her posture sagged – her shoulders becoming hunched the way very elderly people held themselves.

She was twenty going on seventy.

Kagome had a feeling this woman wasn't as young as she supposedly seemed. She was sucking energy and raw power out of the very earth… though the water and into her fingers to roll up her arms to her core. Yet even nature's power wasn't enough to cast the incantation… since the woman seemed to be using her own life force to cast the spell as well. That was one hell of a tiring curse to place…

__

"Neque post id tempus umquam summis nobiscum copiis hostes contendum."

After a few moments, the miko sagged and her hands moved from the water to brace against the bank. The elderly woman seemed to heave for air as her eyes remained closed. The curse was laid and someplace, somewhere, seven Shichinin-tai were losing strength and dropping dead… or had been ten years earlier. As Kagome continued to watch, the woman's youth slowly began to return, though Kagome realised it was just an illusion… this woman was _old_.

The miko turned and looked at Kagome. Her blood froze in her veins.

The woman dressed in full black slowly rose to her feet, her eyes not moving from where Kagome lay staring back at her in horror. Kagome suddenly felt that this woman was not only in the past… but there in the present with her as well. How was that possible? She was watching something that had happened in the past – interaction wasn't possible! Besides – the woman was dead now – Inuyasha had killed her!

Kagome found herself unable to move, barely allowing herself to breathe as her blood pounded in her ears and her heart thumped against her ribs. The miko crouched down before Kagome and closed her eyes, reaching out to her. Kagome felt a ghost like touch, like the breeze tickling her arm in the same place the miko touched her.

__

"So much power… so much youth…" Kagome heard her say in her distorted voice. She'd never been very good at hearing things said in these visions. _"I think you shall suffice."_

"Suffice…?" Kagome echoed.

The mikos hand sunk into her arm and pain suddenly shot up Kagome's limb. She screamed, loudly and without care of who heard – she tried to scrambled away but she was frozen to the spot. The woman seemed to smile slightly and darkly to herself before falling against Kagome and completely disappearing within her.

Kagome's world turned black. Then it was white. And then it was nothing.

^_^

Inuyasha struggled to comprehend what on earth had happened whilst he'd been… away… sort of. The last thing he really remembered was being with Kagome… he remembered how complete he'd felt, being able to hold her at last without worrying if it was wrong or not. She'd told him she didn't care what he felt for her… as long as they could be together like they both wanted. He trusted her judgement, she wasn't a little girl anymore, she didn't need to be coddled.

It was like he'd found the missing piece of his soul this morning. Had he lost it already?

He'd been struck with a headache and he vaguely remembered leaving Kagome… and then the next thing he knew, he'd been standing in the Northern throne room with a knife poised against his neck.

Whatever had happened, it meant Kagome was alone – and the best place to start looking for her was to go back to the place he'd last seen her. Where was she? What was she thinking? Was she safe?

He could dwell on nothing as he sped towards the border. Being on one of the fastest horses got him there quickly – but no way near quick enough in his book. He dropped off the animal before it had even stopped moving and ran to the river bank where he'd last seen Kagome sitting – dipping her toes in the water like the care-free little spirit she was.

Not surprisingly, she wasn't there – but at least now he had a scent trail. The wind had changed direction a few times since he'd last been there, but the trail was still prominent. He pulled himself back onto his mount and followed, pushing the horse to its limits. He needed to find Kagome – his sanity depended on it.

Which was why he wasn't completely pleased when Bankotsu's scent soon joined Kagome's.

^_^

"Dropped dead already huh?" Bankotsu blew out a disheartened sigh as he approached Kagome's limp form. He gave her a light nudge with his foot, but she made no reaction other than to… loll, was the word he though appropriate. He frowned and crouched down beside her. "Stop playing games, Kagome." He passed a hand over her mouth and paused to see if she was breathing. He couldn't really tell…

"You still have to tell me what I want to know." He slapped her cheek, none too gently. "Get up already."

He was rewarded with a soft groan as her head turned away from him. "…Hurts…" she mumbled thickly.

"There's a good girl. Hang in there." He decided to give her a moment to collect herself and stood.

"What have you done to her?" Someone said quietly behind him.

He recognised that voice. He stiffened somewhat, staring straight ahead to the other side of the Canyon. The tone had sounded slightly bewildered, but far off… though Bankotsu didn't for a second underestimate his chances.

There was a tell tale scraping sound of metal being drawn from its sheath, and in a split second, Bankotsu turned and with a loud resounding crack, blocked a devastating blow from Tessaiga. The impact made him stumble slightly, nearly falling back onto Kagome from the force behind the other sword. He found himself locking glares with a livid Hanyou.

"**_WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!_**" Inuyasha all but screamed at him, giving their locked blades an extra shove that had Bankotsu, taking one step back to avoid falling.

"I don't have time for this!" Bankotsu hissed and pulled his weapon back, ducking quickly to avoid a horizontal slash of Inuyasha's sword. He brought Banryuu up once more to block another strike, staggering yet again. Inuyasha was angry. Very angry actually and this was putting the Hanyou at an unfair advantage. His strength was feeding off his anger and Bankotsu was struggling to block his weapon, let alone take any offence.

"You'll pay for this, you treacherous bastard!" Inuyasha yelled as he aimed a low slash at Bankotsu's legs. The human jumped easily and tried striking down on Inuyasha's head with his sword – Inuyasha was having none of that. He simply grabbed Banryuu between his two hands and twisted it out of Bankotsu's grip. The leader of the Shichinin-tai's expression went momentarily blank as his weapon was flung out of his hands, and flung far. He watched as it flipped through the air to lodge in the earth a few metres away. He turned back to Inuyasha, about to scold him for that move – when Inuyasha's fist connected with his face and he fell, his senses momentarily reeling.

Inuyasha wasted no time on the fallen man. He dropped Tessaiga and ran to Kagome. She seemed to have already slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Kagome? Kagome?!" He didn't know what to do with her. He didn't want to move her or lift her in case he broke something… she looked so pale and broken already, he didn't want to make it worse. He settled for shrugging out of his haori at least and wrapping it around her top half in an effort to cover he. He gently eased her up to do this and cradled her as gently as possible. "It's ok, Kagome, it's ok. You're safe now, I'm here."

God… what had that bastard done to precious, tiny, frail little Kagome?! She was pale… too pale… and it reminded him starkly of what he had seen in the throne room… her massacred body dripping in her own blood… she was even wearing the same yukata.

"Shit…" he whispered with feeling and held her closer, feeling his hands tremble in an unnerving way. How had he let this happen?

She stirred gently in his arms and he all but held his breath until the moment Kagome opened her eyes and focused on his face, it took her a few moments but her recognition was instant when she saw him. "Inu…"

"It's ok now, I'm here – I promise I'll never leave you again!" he wanted to touch her cheek, but the bruises looked painful.

"Never in my life… have I ever wanted you beside me." She responded quietly.

He stared at her in confusion, not understanding the impassive expression on her face. "What?"

Her hands came up to press against his chest. He didn't even know what hit him, but the next moment he felt like he'd been smacked by a runaway carriage driven by two armoured dragons or something. He went sailing back through the air and cracked back against the wall of the Canyon. He slid to the ground quickly and looked over to where Kagome was beginning to sit up… his gaze was getting even more unfocused as the seconds slipped by and the darkness on the edge of his vision began clouding over his mind.

He remembered thinking one last thing before he totally slipped away. '_I must have made her really mad…_'

Bankotsu was carefully beginning to stand up, having just witnessed the exchange between Inuyasha and Kagome… and witnessing Kagome KO Inuyasha with one blast of that miko magic she refused to acknowledge as her own. It was a pity she hadn't purified him completely…

"A lover's tiff?" He dusted down his clothes and kept a wary eye on Kagome as he went to go pull Banryuu out of the ground. He was pretty sure he wasn't in any danger with this girl… since as far as he knew, mikos' powers only affected those of the Youkai variety. He was safe, being human as he was.

Kagome didn't seem to take any notice of him as she steadied her hands against the ground and closed her eyes tightly as if trying to catch her breath. "Bastard."

"I'll take that as a yes shall I?" he smirked and hit the tip of his sword against the ground a few times to make sure it was still completely intact.

As he went to retrieve Tessaiga for examination, Kagome gave a dry, humourless laugh. "A lover's tiff – we are mortal enemies, Lord Inu and I – he's been plaguing my-" she cut off abruptly as she looked up and saw Bankotsu for the first time.

"Lord Inu?" Bankotsu shot her an odd look with a scoff. He hefted Tessaiga against his shoulder. "Maybe I hit you too hard Kagome, but that isn't Lord Inu. That's his son? Remember? That one you've been bonking."

She narrowed her eyes into a glare. "Lord Inu's son is ten years old – and you! You should be dead! I cursed you – you and all your little companions!"

Bankotsu's expression was unreadable, but after a moment he dropped Tessaiga on the ground and walked towards her. He crouched beside her once more and grabbed her chin. "You aren't Kagome."

"I am Tsubaki." She muttered spitefully. "Though I wouldn't expect you to recognise me."

"I'd recognise that conceited little expression anywhere." He snapped. "What happened to the other girl?"

"Her soul has fled this vessel." She jerked her chin out of his grip. "Good thing too… she was wasting all this potential power…"

"Yeah, whatever." Bankotsu brought his sword out and levelled it at her throat. The girl froze and eyed the weapon warily, scarcely breathing let alone moving. "I was having a bit of trouble getting Kagome to co-operate, so I suppose it's your turn for interrogation. I don't know how the hell you've managed to possess her – but now you work for me."

She laughed harshly. "As if I would ever lower myself to-"

He pushed the blade against her throat and she fell silent rather quickly. "If you don't perform the counter curse for the one you laid ten years ago in this valley – then your head will be rolling into that pond over there before you know what's happening."

She regarded him stonily.

"It's up to you." He continued. "Do you want to lose that body you've just taken so soon? Or will you do what I say and run the chance of surviving?"

She continued to watch him stonily before turning a glare to the ground. "I will help you. As long as you let me live."

Probably not, but who needed to tell her that. "Of course." He smiled pleasantly for all appearances and helped her to her feet.

~_~

One staggering step at a time. The road was long, but the end was visible – that white shining light at the end of the straight white road…

It felt as if that was where she belonged, where she would be happy. She could finally rest and take a break from a tiresome existence. That's what she wanted. She was tired… she needed sleep, and she felt, with every fibre of her being that where the road ended, her peace would be found.

Behind her she was leaving a smeared trail of bloody footprints. She was tightly pressing one hand against a gash on the right, upper arm, but still the blood trickled down freely between her fingers, down her arm and dripped off her fingertips to splatter occasionally on the pristine white road.

She knew she was tired, badly injured and should probably sit down and take a breather, but she felt numb to the pain and exhaustion – all her attention was focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. That's where she wanted to be – once there, she wouldn't have to worry about _anything _anymore.

"You don't want to go there."

She slowed and paused a few moments before turning in a circle to look behind her. Her arm and ribs gave a sudden jolt of pain as the focus on her destination was disrupted and her mind brought back to present matters… sort of. She was looking at a man. He was tall, wearing the clothes of a lord and had long, ebony hair that ran in waves around his shoulders. He had a good face… though he looked pale and slightly sickly… but maybe that was just the lighting.

"If you go there you'll never be able to come back. You'll be really dead then." He told her. "The only way to return would be if you were reincarnated… and that could take centuries."

Kagome stared at him, trying to comprehend his words. "What…?"

"Or you could wander around this road for eternity… a lost spirit with no goal in mind. But that isn't much of a life either." He continued. There was something familiar about his voice… more like his tone actually. Polite, smooth, yet an underlying sense of mockery and unkindness that was unmistakable. "It's all going to hell down there, you know. He tried to save you… but… well, he was too late. Now the bad guys are going to win. Nevermind, eh?"

Kagome continued to stare at him. What was he talking about? "What…?"

"Is that still the only intelligent thing you have to say?" he gave her a disgusted look. "Still stupid. You can dress up a peasant to make her look like a princess, the same way you can stick a peacock feather on a sparrow and pretend it's special. But in the end it's still just a scrawny, dim, uninteresting, dirty little sparrow."

"What?"

He sighed and folded his arms, walking towards her until he stood before her and leaned in close. "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

"A wood could chuck ch… dammit…" she bit her lip. "That's not funny!"

"You always lost our little games." He said lightly.

Kagome narrowed her eyes slightly. "Who are you… I think I know you… but I don't recognise you."

"I'm hurt, Baby. You could at least try to remember your mentor, your saviour – the man who ripped you from the evil clutches of your family and delivered you into the oh so peaceful life you have now… sort of."

Kagome's eyes widened and feeling returned to her legs as she crumbled to her knees, staring blankly ahead. She remembered now… she remembered everything… disturbed that only a few moments ago she hadn't known who she was… that she hadn't even cared. "No… Naraku's dead… you can't be him."

"Well… you're dead too. We meet again." He looked down his nose at her, a slightly conceited smile curving on his lips. "It must be fate… but I have a deal I think you'll like."

AN: Told you he'd be back. Anyway, next chapter – 'What Does it Mean?' Which of course means that the unanswerable question shall be answered!


	21. What it Means

****

Author's Notes: And amazingly I still get people telling me I'm spelling 'realise' wrong. Should be with a Z, not an S. And yes, they checked the dictionary so they know I'm wrong, and they're right. ¬_¬ I won't say it… I won't say it… I will not repeat myself again… _

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 21

What it Means

"No."

"But you haven't even heard the deal yet, baby, how can you be sure you don't want to-"

"No."

"If you'd just-"

"No."

"It's really not that bad when you weigh up-"

"I said no and no means no so, NO!"

Naraku drew back slightly and folded his arms. "Well if you're going to be a bitch about it…"

^_^

Someone was chanting something in some foreign dialect he didn't recognise when he started to come around. He cringed and grimaced as pain lanced through his chest when he inhaled deeply, causing him to try and curl in on the sensation. His cheek scraped the dusty, rock ground and he began to realise something was not quite right about his bedroom.

Slowly he opened his eyes and began to sit up before he even got anything into focus. The first person he saw was Bankotsu and his lip curled behind the bastard's back. Silently he began to push himself to his feet… if he could just sneak up behind the asshole and snap his neck-!

He'd momentarily glanced at the second person in the clearing with them… Kagome.

Inuyasha's hands came up slowly and touched the singed fabric of his shirt… beneath, his chest was nearly burnt black… not pretty. But what shocked him most was that it had come from Kagome. Besides the fact that this was the girl he'd made love to only that morning, this kind of power only emanated from someone like Kikyo. Spiritual powers of cleansing. Kagome's powers had always been down to earth and subtle… but what had surged from her fingers a few minutes ago had been a rather strong bolt of energy that had probably intended on killing him.

Whatever had gone on while he'd been 'away' was beyond him… but he needed to fix it.

"I figured you wouldn't be out for too long."

Inuyasha snapped a glare up to Bankotsu who had turned and was regarding him with folded arms and a cocked head. An arrogant smile was playing on the human's face… making Inuyasha just want to run up and smack it off.

Though Bankotsu's skills with that oversized sword were not to be laughed at or underestimated. One look told Inuyasha that Tessaiga was too far away… lying beside Kagome – and between him and Kagome was Bankotsu the barrier.

"You bastard… you betrayed us all!" Inuyasha snarled as he straightened shakily. Was it just him, or was it a little hard to breathe? Probably just him…

Bankotsu swept a lazy gaze over him. "Oh just sit this one out, Inuyasha. You're practically dead on your feet."

That was nothing compared to the injuries Kagome had. But Kagome didn't seem to notice her wounds… instead she was knelt down beside the water of the canyon with her fingertips dipped in the reservoir, drawing energy from nature to channel it into the incantation she seemed to be laying.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha called over to her.

Kagome's chants faltered and she slowly slanted him a long glare. It nearly froze him to the bone… what the hell was that about?

"Keep going." Bankotsu barked at her, tightening a hand around the hilt of Banryuu which rested against his shoulder. She darted him an uncertain look before closing her eyes and concentrating on her work again.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. He snapped a thunderous look back onto Bankotsu. "What the fuck did you do to her?!" he yelled. "You've done something!"

"I admit I may have had to do a little persuading… but now she's jumping at the chance to help, aren't you dear?" Bankotsu didn't wait for Kagome's answer. "And _you_ I don't need. You're presence here is unwanted and your life is expendable to me… so…"

In a flash Banryuu was swung from his shoulder in a wide arc before him. The ground between them suddenly started ripping up and Inuyasha barely had time to dive out of the way as the invisible force slammed into the cliff where he'd been standing moments before… showering Inuyasha with dirt and rocks.

It was over in a matter of seconds and Inuyasha coughed as the dust settled around them. He looked back across at Bankotsu who was looking as arrogantly smug as ever. "Bet you didn't know I could do that, did you?"

Inuyasha panted as he looked at the damage that blade had inflicted… the cutting wind?

"It's not the cutting wind, if that's what you're thinking." Bankotsu continued, like some kind of mind reader. "Obviously I don't have the youki to produce something like that… I doubt your limited brain capacity could comprehend how a human forged blade could do that."

Inuyasha darted a glance to Tessaiga… if only he had the speed to run past Bankotsu and grab it… maybe Sesshomaru would have the speed. It was so _not _fair that he hadn't inherited that kind of speed from his father… damn Sesshomaru! Hogging all the good genes!

His mind was wondering – not a good thing to do in that kind of situation. He wasn't going to beat that blade alone… that was for sure… so instead he tried to turn his attention back to Kagome. "Why are you helping him? Why did you attack me?! Kagome, dammit, answer me!"

"Shh!" Bankotsu hissed. "You'll distract her – she's busy!"

"Fuck you." Inuyasha muttered half-heartedly as he looked around desperately more some kind of help… he needed to get to Tessaiga – preferably without being chopped up by the big sword in Bankotsu's hand on the way. "Oh my god – what the hell is that?!" Inuyasha pointed to the sky.

"Do you think I'm really going to fall for that?" Bankotsu smirked. "I'm not stupid."

"Don't brag."

"You're awfully rude for a King you know."

"I'm not King. You are."

"Oh yes, the throne's mine, not yours." Bankotsu looked briefly at Kagome whose brow was furrowed in concentration. "And she's my wife, not yours."

Maybe that had been one step too far for Inuyasha's fragile patience and tolerance. "Well she's about to be a widow!" He shot forward, aiming for Bankotsu who sighed almost lazily and prepared to swing Banryuu.

But everything ground to a sudden halt…

Inuyasha slowed down until he stopped, a few metres away from Bankotsu… the Shichinin-tai leader dropped Banryuu and was bending double, clutching at his stomach as though in some terrible kind of agony. After a few breathless moments, Bankotsu collapsed onto the ground, still grimacing and trembling in pain. Inuyasha barely caught the muttered, "Bitch…"

He quickly glanced at Kagome who had pulled her hands from the water and was glaring across at Bankotsu in total disdain. "You have no stomach for pain." She told him coldly. "A typical man."

For a moment it looked like everything was going to be ok. Bankotsu was dying, Kagome was alive… mad at him, but still, she was alive. Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak to her… when he noticed that Bankotsu's aura wasn't weakening… it was getting stronger.

A lot stronger.

Maybe he'd counted his chickens too soon? "Fuck!" Inuyasha swore as he dived past the human man who was quickly getting to his feet again, despite having had what looked like a seizure. Within seconds, Inuyasha snatched up Tessaiga and whirled on Bankotsu who had mirrored his action in grabbing Banryuu.

Inuyasha's lip curled in anger and he shot a glare at Kagome. "Kagome – why did you do this?!"

He got no answer. She simply got to her feet shakily and began to stagger away. Was she just going to leave?!

"Stay right where you are, missy!" Bankotsu shouted warningly. Kagome froze and looked back at him stormily.

"You said I could leave."

"I changed my mind." He retorted.

Inuyasha was lost. What the hell was going on here? Why was Kagome helping this bastard…? Was she insane?!

Storm clouds were beginning to roll into the stark blue sky above them, almost as if they came from nowhere. Inuyasha darted an uncertain look upwards as a few splatters of raindrops showered down into the Canyon, hitting his cheek and beading on the shiny surface of Tessaiga.

"Ah…" Bankotsu looked pleased. "And here comes the rest of the cavalry…"

^_^

"So do you plan to sit there for all eternity and mope?"

Kagome brought a narrowed glare up to Naraku. Her body was too broken to move much. "I can't seem to do much else right now."

A long tense silence stretched out, during which Kagome made little bunny faces on the white road surface with her own blood and Naraku picked at something between his teeth.

"Do you want to play Eye Spy?" he offered eventually.

"No."

"Only asking." He rolled his eyes and went back to twiddling his thumbs.

Another long pause stretched… Kagome stared blankly at the ground. Maybe if she just ignored him, he'd go away.

"Can we discuss the deal again?"

"No."

He sighed irritably and folded his arms gruffly. "You know, just because you killed me, doesn't mean you are free from our first deal. Your soul is still mine, the same way my gift of long life is still yours. Our deals can't be broken in death."

Kagome lifted her head to stare at him in dawning horror. "What…?"

"That's right, I still own your soul. And so now that its been freed from it's mortal restraints of a body… I can do whatever the hell I want with you."

"You dirty, rotten-"

"Save the loving entreaties for someone who cares." He interrupted heartlessly. "Like Inuyasha maybe?"

Kagome lowered her head again, this time trembling from sheer anger towards him. Naraku sighed and paced a little, slowly. "It's all going to end in tears you know?"

"What?" Kagome mumbled awkwardly.

"The little Hanyou King can fight all he wants. But from here I can see fate… I can read the future they're all heading for. He'll die, your body will die, Tsubaki will die… a lot of people will die – and not just those who are fighting – but those in the palace… Lady Inu, Sango, Miroku… Fushi – even Shippo."

It was unnerving how he knew all their names…

"The Shichinin-tai will wipe them out."

"So they're going to be resurrected after all?" Kagome sighed.

"They already have been…"

Kagome looked up at him with determination. "I want to help – I could stop them if I went back."

He laughed at her. "You?! Look at the state of you, Baby! You can barely even stand – not only is your human body a wreck – but your own soul is in even worse condition!"

She looked down at herself.

"You think those are injuries sustained by Bankotsu?" he smirked. "Physical injuries cannot inflict damage on a soul… usually. Those injuries you see there can only be inflicted by those who're close to you." He slowly sat down on the ground a few feet away. "Black eyes on your soul from the family who turned its back on you. Broken ribs from a wolf fiancé who abandoned you to me. And numerous cuts, bruises and lesions from a Hanyou who has continually been turning away from you again and again… hurting you little by little. You've been hit in the heart so many times you can't even stand in this place."

Kagome glared at him. "You make less and less sense the longer I know you!"

He sighed and looked away. "Poor, dear Baby Kagome. You have a strong will… I'll give you that… it's surprising you haven't already committed suicide by now. You've taken all this damage into the heart, but I'm sure you would endure a life time more if given the chance."

"Don't pretend you know me." She snapped angrily. "You know nothing about me."

"I own your soul, I know you inside out." He smirked and looked back at her. "I always wondered how you did it… how you survived for so long alone, with so many fears and troubles, but always came out smiling in the end. But I know you can suss out your problems inside you… you deal with your fears until they don't bother you anymore. You can identify your feelings, and deal with them realistically. You're not afraid of yourself… and so you can keep going despite all the bad things that happen to you. Although… you don't always get away without a few… scratches." He eyed her injuries sceptically. "You're quite the opposite of Inuyasha in that respect."

"Meaning?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Meaning, like a typical male, he will misunderstand how he feels – or worse – he will ignore how he feels in favour of running from his problems, and so never have a chance of understanding them. He's not emotionally wise like you. He'd leave fears to fester within him, and eventually corrupt him… why do you think it was so easy for an average monk, with average skills, to make him insane? With all the lost feelings inside him floating around, all that chaos, he didn't stand a chance at sanity."

Kagome stared at him… a little unsure of what she was hearing. Inuyasha wasn't… ignorant… was he? "You know all this… how?"

"I know all, I see all." He said that like he'd said it a million times before.

"And I see you're still as arrogant as ever…"

"I shall forgive your rudeness and sarcasm. You've had a very rough day… lost your virginity and your life in all of six hours in two totally unrelated incidents. That has to be some kind of record." He tutted sympathetically. "Poor Baby. Life is so cruel to you."

"Death is crueller."

^_^

All seven of them were standing in the valley. The whirlwind of dust had died down and the clouds rumbled ominously overhead in the background as Inuyasha took in each one of them.

He'd never seen such a motley crew of warriors in his life…

He recognised Jakotsu at once – and promptly blanked him as the rather feminine man made kissy noises at him and waved happily upon arrival amidst the dust cloud. Renkotsu was the monk… probably the most sinister of all of them… the others he didn't recognise… he didn't see Suikotsu among them – only a human guy who had passed out promptly upon seeing the ghastly wounds on Kagome.

As the warriors grouped together and got reacquainted cheerfully enough, showing off their newly acquired strength and skills… Inuyasha slid a look across to Kagome. She was slumped against a boulder close to the water's edge. She looked dull and bored… uninterested in what was going on. He didn't understand what had happened to her.

Perhaps he would have gone and asked her if the Shichinin-tai hadn't finally gotten over the thrill of being alive again and had turned their direction towards him.

"I guess our first order of business would be him then." Renkotsu shot a withering glare towards the Hanyou who resolutely gripped Tessaiga tightly in his hands. One against six inhumanly strong warriors who had already been legendarily strong to begin with… poor sods, he'd wipe the floor with them.

"Oh, oh!" Jakotsu waved his hand towards Bankotsu. "Let me have him – we were having so much fun together me and my Inuyasha – but then he spoiled it by killing me – let me have another go!"

Inuyasha bristled in disgust and indignation. "I was human when I killed you – you're only small fry."

Jakotsu huffed and balled a fist against his hip. "So rude…" but then he grinned. "He's so sweet looking when he's mad."

"Enough of that." Bankotsu waved Jakotsu off. "We don't have time for games. Ginkotsu!"

The part man, part steel member of the band lumbered forward. "What?"

"Kill him." Bankotsu glanced between Inuyasha and Kagome. "Jakotsu you can kill the girl."

Ginkotsu lumbered forward to do his bidding while Jakotsu looked cheated. "How come he gets to kill the interesting one and I get a _woman _of all-"

"She's my wife. Kill her for me." Bankotsu interrupted breezily, well aware of the effect of this news.

Jakotsu snapped a ferocious glare on Tsubaki, who seemed oblivious to what was going on around her… "_My pleasure_." He hissed out and stomped forward. 

It was quickly turning from a bad situation into a worse situation for Inuyasha. How the hell was he supposed to protect himself as well as Kagome? He clenched his jaw and decided to do what he did best. Just kick ass and hope it went well! "Don't underestimate me you bastards!" he yelled as he drew back Tessaiga, confidently.

Jakotsu was approaching Kagome too soon – Inuyasha wasn't going to have time to cut down Ginkotsu before he got to her… so instead of wasting precious energy on the lumbering metal man, he feigned to the side and in the blink of an eye, blocked Jakotsu's path, his sword braced and ready to do some serious damage.

"Oh you came to me!" Jakotsu promptly forgot about Kagome/Tsubaki and swiftly unsheathed his own strangely twisted sword. "I guess that means it's only polite to accept your challenge."

Bankotsu was shaking his head with slight disbelief. He glanced at the others. "Help him out, I'll deal with the girl later."

Between dodging Jakotsu's blade, Ginkotsu's cannon blasts and Renkotsu's fire net… Inuyasha was having a bit of trouble on his own… and yet Kagome still went on glaring at him.

It was slightly disheartening.

^_^

"I don't understand… why did I die?" Kagome muttered wearily. "If she only possessed me then why did I die…?"

"Well technically I don't think you did die – but the results are the same." Naraku informed her in an absentminded explanation. "She channelled her own soul through the link you made to the past with your vision. She attempted to possess you… but you have a very large soul, did you know that? Anyway, your body has only room for one soul and unfortunately… you being the weaker, battered soul, you lost the fight and was forced out to allow room for the miko."

"Oh…"

"Mm." He rubbed his chin. "And so now I can drag your soul to hell with me, seeing as you _are _my property after all… Oh don't look at me like that, I don't plan to." He rolled his eyes at her expression. "It was a good threat when we were both alive, but it's a bit empty and pointless now that we're both actually dead. What am I supposed to do with you in hell? Play Eye Spy until the cows come home? You'll badger me to death. No pun intended there…"

"I'm not that annoying." She replied irritably.

"Keep telling yourself that." He said in a patronising tone.

Kagome sighed and screwed her eyes shut for a moment as though thinking hard. She opened them again and fixed him with a serious look. "I need to go back down there – I can't just sit here and let them all die."

"If you do you won't be so lonely up here." He pointed out. "But then again you always have me for company."

She shuddered. "I can't stay up here… I can't let them down."

"Yes you can." Naraku pointed out, as though it were a reasonable point. "Don't you want to see Inuyasha hurt for the damage he's inflicted on your heart and soul?"

"No!"

"I guess that's the power of love then." He snorted. "What a load of rubbish that is…"

Kagome looked down at her bruised, scratched knees. "That's what Inuyasha says…"

Another one of those uncomfortable pauses stretched out again. Kagome carried on staring at her knees while Naraku fidgeted and rapped his fingers against his arm. "It seems ironic…" he began. "That no matter how much damage he has inflicted on you… he still has the power to heal it all. And you'd let him because you love him more than you love yourself."

"I thought you said love was garbage." She pointed out dryly.

"It is. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's one of the most powerful forces in the world, love. Mothers would sacrifice themselves for the life of their child, all for love. Kikyo would have destroyed an entire palace for betrayal of love. I would have killed Inuyasha for jealousy caused by love. Love is strong… and depending on the person, you can give a little, or you can give a lot. It's not all smiles and mushy feelings though… it can spark deadlier emotions like anger, jealousy, violence. Some of the greatest wars ever fought were founded by love of something or other. So yes, I think love is very real, and it rules us all."

Kagome snorted and looked away from him. "Maybe you should preach that to Inuyasha. He doesn't believe in it at all."

"Oh but he does."

Kagome blinked back at him. "Oh but he doesn't."

"You're so blind." Naraku said shortly. "He told you himself his own philosophies on love – remember the cage?"

"He said love didn't exist – I remember perfectly! He stepped on my feelings and made me look a fool!" Kagome snapped out.

"And you believe the word of an insane Hanyou. He was laughing at your blindness. He knew you wouldn't understand what he was really telling you at that time… but you will understand eventually… even if he didn't, or still doesn't."

A rather strange feeling of déjà vu passed over Kagome. "What did you say?"

"What did it mean?"

Kagome stared at him, feeling cold and numb.

"Hmm… what did it mean when he told you love is something you can only feel when you like someone in the friendship way and romantic way?" Naraku tapped his chin thoughtfully. "He's right of course. That is all that love is at the end of the day. True love that is. Meaning you can lust after an enemy, but it won't be love because you hate them. The same way you can have a friend, but you won't be in love with them because you don't want to marry them."

Kagome couldn't tear her gaze off the man before her.

"Really love is the happy medium between lust and friendship in their truest forms…"

She carried on staring at him.

"Your dreams concern two things… the Shichinin-tai and Inuyasha. He asked you what it meant… showed you a message you didn't understand and laughed because he knew you wouldn't anyway. But you understand what it meant now… don't you…?"

"I sorta wish I didn't…"

"He told you he loved you, in that cage, in his own definition. And you thought he was saying he hated you. You really are blind and naïve, Baby." Naraku snorted. "Of course, only the chaotic mind of a crazy man, when all emotions are in turmoil and surfacing at any given moment, would the love surface and be recognised for what it was. Whilst sane, he pushes his feelings down, ignores them all, because they confuse him… poor simple minded boy… can't deal with pain, love, betrayal and trust all at once… so he hasn't quite registered what he feels for you. But one day… it'll hit him. Just like that."

Kagome blinked up at him, tears beginning to glaze her eyes. "Then… why would he lie…? Why would he say he didn't… if he did…?"

"Because he's just as blind as you are on a normal day. He doesn't identify his feelings or his fears the way you do. You can hold it against him, it _is _his stupidity after all." Naraku rolled his eyes. "He's a fool… but he's in love with you. Do you understand now?"

Kagome didn't know…

"It meant he loves you."

^_^

It was all just becoming a blur of motion, and automatic reflexes without much thought as to what was going on. If he saw a blade coming, he dodged it, not caring what he dodged into. If a net of fire coiled around his body he would slash it away as quickly as he could, regardless of what else was about to hit him, regardless of the swords that hammered against his back as he tried to break out…

It was annoying actually… how in stories the bad guys always waited patiently in a ring around the good guy and attacked one by one in order of weakest first, strongest last. But in real life they all converged on him simultaneously, the strongest and the weakest. They weren't planning to give him any chances of survival.

"You're strong to last as long as this." He was vaguely aware of Bankotsu calling out from the sidelines as the other warriors attacked him. He cut away the last tether of Renkotsu's netting and threw himself to the side just in time to avoid getting squished by Kyoukotsu's enormous fist. "But the curse has been revoked and reversed… we're stronger than ever. You can't win."

What curse? What the hell was he babbling about? Inuyasha fell to the ground as he felt Jakotsu's blade wrap around his legs, biting into his flesh and tripping him… sending Tessaiga skittering from his grip. More flaming net pinned him down and he cringed away from the heat… it was all made worse when Mukotsu sent some poison gas his way, igniting the flames higher and making the heat almost unbearable. He couldn't see or smell anything other than flame and smoke… though he could just about hear Ginkotsu aiming a cannon at him and Kyoukotsu bracing above him, ready to flatten him in an instant.

Hopeless… he was as good as dead…

"Goodbye Inuyasha." Bankotsu said, almost drowned out by the sound of crackling flames around him.

Maybe if he had been the only one in danger he would have just decided enough was enough and given up… and died right there. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, he was paralysed with the poisonous smoke and Tessaiga was too far away. He wasn't going to be getting up again…

But he wasn't the only one whose life was on the line.

Kagome.

Her life was priceless and irreplaceable. And on no terms would he ever give up on her…

So it wasn't a hard thing to do… to surrender to that inner strength that was pulsing away beneath his consciousness, trying to claw its way to the surface. The strength which thought survival was everything and life was as simple as that. Nothing else was relevant.

He slowly sank into himself, all thoughts and worries grinding to a halt until he was only… _vaguely _aware that he was there at all. Only _vaguely _aware that his vision bled red and his claws lengthened and toughened enough to gouge into the ground like it was nothing but sponge cake, instead of solid rock.

It was so much easier to accomplish things when you had only one thing in mind.

Kill. And enjoy it.

AN: Next Chapter 'The Final Deal'


	22. The Final Deal

****

Author's Notes: Well I'm one happy bunny. I got my copy of the fifth harry potter book and I've been busily working my way through it – hence the reason why I was too busy reading the book to update a few hours ago (a few hours – who's that picky?)

Oh… and that bitter part I was talking about? Yeah… you'll find it in this chapter. _So sorry…_ It kinda explains why this chapter is about two pages longer than normal (in micro. word that is)

But that also means that the **next **chapter is going to be **the last chapter**! It's finally coming to an end!

****

Life Exchange

Chapter 22

The Final Deal

"You don't believe me do you?" Naraku groaned. "But we've been through this like a million times already…"

"Sorry, but somehow I find it hard to believe you'd tell me something like this – you're a nasty person and you tell me nasty things – so you're just saying he loves me so that it will upset me more because he doesn't love me!" Kagome reasoned (in Kagome logic, which is very illogical logic).

"That's stupid. You're stupid." He told her bluntly. "Inuyasha has made no secret of the fact he sees you as a friend – and that he also feels attracted to you. By his own definition, that is what he calls love. So he would be a hypocrite or a liar if he didn't love you." Naraku flicked some lint off his sleeve. "Neither of which I find him to be."

Kagome stared at the floor, speechless again. "But…" she faltered, before trying again a few moments later. "Why are you telling me this?"

"To spoil the surprise when he tells you himself." Naraku shrugged. "Or maybe I find you so wretchedly pathetic, that even _I_ can't help but pity you… I don't know. I just felt like saying it."

Kagome sighed and pulled her arms tightly around her knees. "I don't know why you bothered either… it's not like I can do anything about it now…" she still half believed he was lying to her. It all sounded too good to be true. It _was _too good to be true. She was dead… she'd never see Inuyasha again no matter what… right? Unless…

"That deal you talked about?" she lifted her chin to look at him. "What were your terms, again?"

He blinked at her before smiling slowly. "I think they're rather fair. I have no need or desire to cheat you now, I just want to get rid of you, and I reckon you feel the same so, if you want, I can restore you to your former life, free your soul back to you, heal all your physical injuries and give you a bash at fighting the bad guys."

That sounded good… but there was always the catch. "And in return?" she raised an eyebrow.

"You give me back your immortal life." He said smoothly.

Kagome froze. "But… if I do that… I won't live half as long as Inuyasha would…"

Naraku shrugged. "You take it or leave it. Do you want to stay dead forever, or do you at least want a chance to live a normal human life, regardless of how short it would seem."

She shook her head firmly. "No way… I promised to stay with Inuyasha no matter what – I want be beside him for the rest of his life – not just mine!"

Naraku shrugged again. "Your loss. I won't set you free in that case."

Kagome bit her lip and glared at the floor… this couldn't be the only way… there had to be some happy medium she could settle for. "Maybe… you can take my immortal life – but leave enough so that I'd live as long as Inuyasha should."

"Unfair." He snipped at her abruptly. "For the things I'm giving you, I want all your immortal life, not just half of it."

She tried again. "Ok… then how about you don't heal all my injuries, and I get to keep another hundred or so years?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I could do that… Inuyasha should only live for about another century and a half I suppose… unless he really does develop a heart condition in forty years, which could knock twenty or so years off his life…" he fell into a meditative quietness. "Ok. I'll let you keep a century and a half of life… but I won't heal your injuries, and you'll have to fight Tsubaki on your own. Once the deal is done I'm out of here, you won't be getting any help from me. And without me healing your injuries you could just die after five minutes."

Kagome accepted it all with a firm nod. "Fine."

"Fine."

"Deal?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"It's a deal." He nodded. He began to stand up. "Enjoy what little life you have left… Baby…"

He disappeared from view and Kagome heaved a sigh of relief. "Good riddance to bad rubbish." She said loudly to the silent expanse around her.

Then she waited.

There was no wind, no sound, no people, no sights and no smells. She turned painfully to look behind her… still nothing there either. Well… did Naraku expect her to find her own way out?

"Cheap git…" she muttered. Always skimping on the details, that guy.

Then it happened.

^_^

It was all going according to plan. Actually, Bankotsu didn't believe it could have gone any better. Inuyasha was a pesky little problem… and like all vermin, he was about to be exterminated. He was pinned, paralysed and about to be burned to a crisp under all that flaming rope… ah… life was good.

So that's why he couldn't wipe the confident little smirk off his face when Inuyasha's body was consumed in flames, or when Ginkotsu levelled his cannon arm at the young man, or when Kyoukotsu raised an elephant sized fist, ready to smash down upon the boy's remains.

"Do it." He said simply.

The explosion of the cannon hitting its target was literally devastating. A cloud of dust rose in a mushroom as rocks and stone shrapnel were thrown outwards, along with little pieces of burning rope. Jakotsu squeaked and had to duck as some debris aimed straight for his head.

Nothing human could have survived that blast… and nothing half human either.

But just to be sure, Kyoukotsu slammed down his oversized fist down on the poor Hanyou, even before the dust and rocks had settled down. The impact sent shudders through the canyon, quaking the ground beneath their feet and making the trees to either side of them shiver.

Tsubaki's eyelids flickered slightly as she lowered her chin to stare at the floor. Bankotsu sent her a short smirk… she probably knew she was next.

The eerie quiet descended on the canyon. Of course, it wasn't silent. That was impossible. Little clatters of rocks still falling around them broke into the atmosphere, the trees whispered in the breeze and the sighing ocean could be heard in the distance. But it seemed unusually calm and peaceful down there.

Kyoukotsu eventually drew back his fist and moved away. It was still a few minutes before the dust settled completely and they could see what was going on.

Bankotsu had to admit he was a little disappointed. He'd at least hoped that by now Inuyasha's head would have popped open like a melon… but he was still whole and solid. Now the Shichinin-tai's feet disturbed the peaceful quiet as he kicked his way through the rocky rubble towards Inuyasha, keeping his eyes on the boy.

His ruffled white hair was stirring slightly in the breeze, some of it was matted with blood from some wound or another. But that wasn't the only movement down in that mini crater… Inuyasha was breathing. And not only was he breathing, but he was rapping five pickaxe like claws against the ground beside his head in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

Bankotsu stopped dead and glared for a few moments, obviously not pleased that the former King had survived. He shot a pointed look to Kyoukotsu and smashed a fist against his other palm, hinting at what he wanted done. The lumbering giant nodded with a large nasty grin pasted across his face. "My pleasure." He rasped as he moved back in and scooped the prone form of the Hanyou up.

It all happened a little too quickly to make sense. Bankotsu was the only one with any warning… when he saw the rough curtain of white hair slide back as the Hanyou was lifted to reveal one of the most feral and sadistic smiles he'd ever seen. Even Bankotsu didn't think he could manage a more sinister sneer.

Kyoukotsu lifted, about to turn the young man into paste. Tsubaki noticed the same thing as Bankotsu and snorted as she looked away again. Jakotsu whistled as he went about sheathing his sword. Mukotsu was having a coughing fit in the background, having inhaled a little too much of his own poisonous smoke. Bankotsu opened his mouth, about to yell a warning.

Kyoukotsu blinked as he was ripped in half.

In a horrible wrenching, twisting and ripping action, Inuyasha both pulled himself out of the giant's grip and raked his claws upwards… shredding the large man's body efficiently and in the messiest way possible.

No one dared move… even as chunks of Kyoukotsu were beginning to rain down around them, fast turning to nothing but dust and bone before they even hit the ground. They were all in shock.

"But that's… impossible…" Jakotsu breathed.

Dark anger rolled through Bankotsu. Already they'd lost another member of their unit… it was getting beyond a joke now, that was for sure. Someone had to pay and it was going to be Inuyasha.

The aforementioned Hanyou landed lightly on the ground with a soft thump, crouched, with one taloned hand braced against the uneven ground while the other was held out for balance, but it soon dropped to rest his forearm against his knee. He was still wearing that disturbing smile, his shoulder was bleeding badly and his chest was charred black, visible through the burnt holes in his shirt. His hair looked coarse, and his two ears looks ragged and hard… not such a cute and fuzzy look about him anymore. Especially with those angry dark stripes ripping down both cheeks and the eyes that were narrowed into little red slits… his teeth looked a little too sharp as well…

"What happened to your face?" Barked Bankotsu irritably.

He didn't get any reply. He wasn't even sure Inuyasha had understood him at all…

Well. Not that it mattered anyway. "Kill him, and don't spare him any leeway." Bankotsu told the others. "If he can kill Kyoukotsu he can kill you too. And I'll finish off this…"

He turned and lost his voice as his gaze fell on Tsubaki… Kagome… whoever she was.

She was dead.

With a cautious glance at Inuyasha who still crouched as still as stone a short distance away, he approached the fallen girl who was sprawled half in, half out of the water. He nudged her with his foot but he got no response. Well… with wounds like that it wasn't surprising she'd popped her clogs already.

It just meant he could focus his attention on Inuyasha.

There was a shout and he spun quickly in time to see Inuyasha hurtle towards the fairly large Ginkotsu. He simply knocked the very large, heavily made man to the floor and stood on his chest as he raised a fist, ready to rip out his throat. Perhaps he would have if Jakotsu hadn't whipped his sword towards the Hanyou, or if Renkotsu hadn't thrown out his flaming nets. Inuyasha dodged it all within millimetres, before instantly turning and throwing himself towards Jakotsu instead. The poor man tried to defend himself as best he could, but Inuyasha simply knocked his fancy, twisting sword away with his claws alone and wrapped a hand around his neck.

"He's too… strong!" Jakotsu rasped, grimacing as Inuyasha's grip only tightened.

"Enough!" Bankotsu yelled, throwing Banryuu at the Hanyou, aiming to hit. Inuyasha just skirted away, releasing Jakotsu in the process and came to a halt where he stilled and watched… but didn't make any offensive move again.

Jakotsu shot Bankotsu a meaningful look full of gratitude as he rubbed his abused neck. "Man… my life flashed before my eyes…" and boy did he need a life. 

Bankotsu marched over and yanked Banryuu out of the ground and swung about to face Inuyasha. "You're mine, halfling." He hissed angrily. Inuyasha's smirk just widened. "You're so dead…"

^_^

It felt like her body had just been grabbed by several dozen hands at the same time. She felt them clamp onto her arms, twist around her legs and grip her around the middle while some locked round her chest. Before she even had a chance to scream and pull herself out of the grip, she was hurled backwards.

__

And she just didn't stop falling.

She almost felt like she'd been reined to some amazingly fast horses and was being dragged along faster than the speed of sound. Kagome just hurtled downwards, feeling the impact of the wind rip around her body – if a shining streak of light was fit to be called a body – swallowing up any screams she tried to emit. Of what little she saw, were only fleeting obscure images. Clouds billowed past above her, almost as if she was flying… but she had no control.

She managed to catch sight of what lay below her… trees… a forest… a little bit of sea… they all shot past in a blur of blue and green and sometimes dusting of brown, golden earth. It was rushing up to meet her. Kagome was terrified she wouldn't survive the impact…

The last thing she saw confused her even more. A valley, various figures standing around like statues… time seemed frozen down there. Then she saw herself, sitting on a boulder as quiet and still as everyone else. This was all a fraction of a second before her soul went slamming back into her physical body, knocking the girl clean off the boulder and half into the water nearby.

Everything went very dark, and very quiet. Kagome was still scared witless… she hadn't a clue what had just happened… though she got the vague idea when she felt some other presence pushing against her… trying to dominate and expel her. Kagome still didn't know what the hell it was… but she fought it, with every fibre of her being. She somehow knew she couldn't lose this battle.

The gentle pushing against her senses increased almost to violent levels and she almost fell away… but she gathered herself and pushed back, just as hard, if not harder. The pressure finally started to falter, and Kagome didn't waste any time pushing against the foreign presence even more forcefully. This was _her _body. It belonged to _Kagome, _not anybody else! 

With one last heavy and wilful push, the presence vanished and Kagome was suddenly very alone… and thankful for it. She was tired of company by now… she just wanted some time to herself.

Physical pain began to seep into her awareness and she heard herself groan aloud. She clenched fingers she hadn't been aware she possessed until that moment and felt the coldness of the water she half lay in. She flickered her eyes open and blearily focused on the loud crashes and small shuddering quakes that was going on around her.

She remembered what Naraku had told her… and saw that he had been truthful. Inuyasha was fighting the Shichinin-tai, and even though he was holding his own quite well… he wasn't exactly winning…

But she was alive now, and she would help as best as she could…

^_^

Bankotsu laughed as he unleashed another strong gust of energy from his sword, it ripped across the canyon towards Inuyasha who only just managed to avoid it. But instead of going for Bankotsu like he should have, to put a stop to Banryuu's attacks, Inuyasha simply went for the nearest Shichinin-tai – which happened to be Renkotsu. There was no strategy to his moves – he was just attacking at random like some kind of wild animal.

He was impossible to read… but fairly easy to keep at bay at the same time. 

Renkotsu deflected his blows with a great deal of effort and ultimately set the out of control Youkai on Mukotsu instead. But Renkotsu wasn't quite finished. He whipped out another coil of net and ignited it instantly as it shot towards both Mukotsu and Inuyasha.

However… Inuyasha saw it coming and once more changed direction, aiming for Jakotsu again, having lost interest in Mukotsu all too quickly. But the flaming net kept going and struck Mukotsu… who happened to be a very flammable, rather gassy kind of person.

He exploded.

Renkotsu tutted. "Damn… I missed…" he muttered, before shrugging and turning to come face to face with a rather angry Bankotsu.

"What the fuck did you do that for?!" his leader shouted in his face.

Renkotsu scowled ever so slightly. "Big deal. Mukotsu wasn't that strong, he wasn't a great loss."

"If it's not bad enough he's picking us off – but you are too!" Bankotsu yelled, waving a hand to where Jakotsu was fending off Inuyasha. "But you were always that way weren't you?"

Renkotsu shrugged. He didn't care as much about his comrades as Bankotsu seemed to. "It doesn't matter." He said simply.

"Yeah, well, neither do you." Bankotsu said quietly.

That was all the warning Renkotsu got before Bankotsu turned and marched away. Renkotsu smirked lightly as the boss helped out Jakotsu yet again and once more, Inuyasha changed tactics and aimed at someone new. Someone like Renkotsu who hadn't expected the attack.

The monk was thrown to the ground hard before being picked up and thrown down again, knocking the wind out of him. He was going to lose this one if someone didn't come to his aid. He looked up to Bankotsu, about to call for assistance… until he noticed the cold look Bankotsu was shooting him.

Oh crap…

Jakotsu looked a little stunned, and was about to move forward and help the monk, but Bankotsu put a hand out to stop him. No one else made an effort to help him.

"Figures…" Renkotsu muttered thickly as he felt cold claws thrust straight through his back and into his chest. The darkness consumed him fast… quick and painless, that was the best way to go, he decided, as he went.

"Enough games now." Bankotsu said loudly as moved forward now that Renkotsu was dead. There were only three Shichinin-tai left now… four if you counted Suikotsu, but he was still unconscious having fainted from weak nerves after seeing too much blood. Pitiful… but Bankotsu was more than enough to handle Inuyasha alone.

"But I'm having so much fun playing."

Bankotsu narrowed his eyes as Inuyasha turned towards him. That was the first time the former King had spoken in this new form he seemed to have taken on. He was still smirking with pleasure, even as Renkotsu's warm blood still flowed over his hands, while Kyoukotsu's older and darker blood stained him from head to toe.

"You talk?"

"I walk too." Inuyasha snickered. "I'm full of talent, me."

"You're just full of it, full stop." Bankotsu said evenly as he levelled his weapon towards the bloody Hanyou. "Now tell me what kind of witch craft you used to make yourself this strong."

"Don't know, don't care." Inuyasha started towards him. "Talking is wasting energy. Let's fight already."

They both lurched forward at exactly the same moment, in such a sudden violent movement that Jakotsu started and inched away from them. The two combatants clashed together furiously – Bankotsu deflected Inuyasha's claws with his sword and spun to slashed straight for the Hanyou's midsection. Inuyasha hopped back to avoid the sweeping blow before moving straight back in to aim another attack. Bankotsu was too quick and simply ducked before sending a rather devastating punch underneath Inuyasha's jaw.

"Bitch…" Inuyasha staggered back with a hand clapped over his mouth, frothy blood seeping between his fingers. "Bit ma tonk…!" he mumbled, glaring daggers at Bankotsu. "You'll pay for that!" he was about to lunge forward if Ginkotsu hadn't grabbed onto both his arms and held him aloft the ground.

For a moment Inuyasha looked slightly surprised… but that quickly turned to irritation. "No interruptions!" he yelled as he managed to flip himself up and out of Ginkotsu's grip and land on his back… as he slid off he managed to grab Ginkotsu's head and twisted it…

A sound snap and Ginkotsu was out of the running.

Bankotsu looked down at the dissolving body of dust and bones and then looked back to Inuyasha… so… at least he had his sights set on only one man now instead of randomly attacking anyone who caught his attention. It was fast deteriorating into a fight between just the two of them. 

There was a soft groan behind him and Bankotsu snapped a look around to where Kagome lay. She was slowly beginning to sit up, rubbing her head and grimacing at rather painful looking injuries. Alive again? Why couldn't she just make her mind up?!

Well with wounds like that she'd die of blood loss any time now. She wasn't worth his attention, so he turned back to Inuyasha who was idly sucking his fingers the way people did after eating something tasty. Lovely… considering his hands were covered in blood of at least three different people. Bankotsu couldn't help but pull a face. "That's disgusting."

Red eyes flashed on him and Inuyasha dropped his hand. For a moment Bankotsu maybe expected to be hit with some witty comeback, but this Inuyasha was pretty much an animal. No expense was paid on fancy words to embroider this battle. In the blink of an eye the Hanyou-turned-Youkai shot forward in another attack. 

For someone as strong as this… he sure left himself open a lot and his attacks were all too obvious. He drew his fist back well before he actually threw the punch, giving plenty of time for Bankotsu to dodge and swing his sword at him. It soon became a bit of a joke. They would throw punches and swings but always miss and skirt around each other. They barely made any contact at all.

Jakotsu watched it all with a wide yawn. It was only a matter of time before his boss would finish off the Hanyou King and then they could move off… maybe they would be able to salvage Suikotsu at least… but the others were dead. Who needed them anyway?

But he was getting a little itchy in the feet and bored… he craved to do something constructive… something that would help Bankotsu, but he knew if he doubled up on Inuyasha as well it might just get himself killed. Not something Jakotsu aimed for.

He kinda resented it… Bankotsu getting to fight solo with the Hanyou… especially when he was looking so wild and… well… he looked damn good when he bled. Jakotsu found himself watching Inuyasha with a dreamy kind of expression before movement elsewhere caught his eye. For a moment he thought it was one of the band getting up… but no… it was a _woman_.

Bankotsu's wife to be precise.

Jakotsu's dreamy expression quickly drew stormy as he watched the woman… no more than a girl really, try to drag herself to her feet precariously. But her legs wouldn't hold her weight and she crumpled to the ground again, even from here he could hear her pathetic whimpers of pain. Nothing she didn't deserve of course…

And hadn't Bankotsu told him to kill her now? Jakotsu removed the folded sword from its sheath and slowly, but deliberately made his way towards the girl whilst Bankotsu and Inuyasha continued fighting a good safe distance away.

He stopped a few feet from her and waited for her to look up. She eventually did, her gaze unfocused and slightly dazed. What a useless waste of space.

"You are… a… a Shichinin-tai?" she rasped thickly.

"Yes." Jakotsu answered.

"But…" she narrowed her gaze as though trying to see him better. "You sound like a woman to me…"

Jakotsu regarded her flatly. "Yes, I'm Shichinin-tai. And you're dead." He'd told that pun to most people he killed. It was ok to use it more than once because… well, everyone who heard it didn't live that long after.

"Oh." She whispered quietly.

This was no fun… she wasn't going to fight back was she? With a bored sigh Jakotsu reached down and dragged her to her feet. "You're actually Bankotsu's wife aren't you?"

Her expression mirrored his. "Unluckily for me."

"Damn bitch," Jakotsu snarled. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Your maker."

"My what?"

Kagome reached out with both hands and took hold of his shoulders. Jakotsu looked down at them in confusion. "W-what are you doing?"

"Taking back a little gift I gave you." Her chin dropped as the hands on his shoulder seemed to reverberate with some kind of energy.

"Stop it!" Jakotsu tried to draw Jakotsutou up to kill her… but he seemed paralysed.

Kagome didn't stop it.

The life force seemed to be flowing out of him… he could almost feel it all running to his shoulders and through the hands that connected with his bare skin. His legs started to grow weak and dark and bright spots danced in his vision. "No… no… this can't happen now… not now…" his new-found strength was seeping away… little bit, by little bit. And he could do nothing to prevent it.

His legs finally failed him and he dropped to his knees. Kagome followed, half because her hands seemed stuck to his shoulders and half because he legs couldn't hold her either. The dark spots seemed to consume his vision completely and all feeling began to leave him… he felt numb, and senseless.

"Bankotsu… is so going to kill you." Jakotsu said with his last breath before his eyes rolled back and he fell away from her. Kagome watched as his flesh turned to dust and his skeleton hit the ground. Not far away… Suikotsu ended his life in the same way… not that it made much difference.

For taking back that much life, Kagome didn't feel any the better for it. She still trembled with nerves and weakness… her insides felt cold and her entire body ached endlessly. But where was Inuyasha? She looked around and saw him, or saw his vague image battling away with Bankotsu… didn't he see her? Why wasn't he at least coming to her aid? Was he still cold and indifferent towards her after what had happened that morning? Maybe he hadn't been turned insane after all… maybe that was just how he was.

But Naraku had talked rather convincingly of love… and her dreams had been silently screaming the same thing at her…

It was safe to say Kagome understood what it all meant. But at the same time… she hadn't a clue as to what was happening…

Suddenly, however, the fight between Bankotsu and Inuyasha staggered to an abrupt halt. Bankotsu suddenly doubled up in pain… all that incredible energy and strength left him in one big gush and he felt strangely shaken at its loss. Inuyasha paid no heed to his problem and finally landed one well aimed kick against his side… sending Bankotsu tumbling sideways.

For a few dazed moments Bankotsu wondered what on earth had happened… he rolled onto his stomach and looked up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Inuyasha approaching… but most of his attention was fixed on the bedraggled looking girl by the water's edge. Before her lay the skeleton of Jakotsu…

She'd reversed the reversed curse. She'd taken away the lives she'd given and taken away the multiplied strength as well. He didn't care how, he didn't care who she was… he didn't particularly care how she died – but she was _definitely _going to be biting dust.

"**_Bitch!_**" he snarled and surged to his feet. Strength born of nothing but pure anger pumped through his veins, more devastating and impressive than the borrowed strength of before…

Now he was downright_ pissed_ at that girl. Inuyasha was just an obstacle now. His target was _her_.

"Get out of my way!" he yelled as Inuyasha launched another attack. With one swing of his sword he caught Inuyasha on the side and flung him backwards with violent speed. The Hanyou smacked against the Canyon wall for the second time that day and rolled to the ground, completely out of it.

Now there was nothing to stop him from murdering that cow. He marched towards her, all his anger welling up to dangerous levels. She didn't notice him coming. She was just staring at the hands that had inflicted so much damage in only a few seconds.

Maybe he wouldn't have been so angry if she'd killed someone like Mukotsu… or Renkotsu… or anyone else for that matter – but Jakotsu was out of bounds! He reached her in a matter of seconds and grabbed her bruised, bleeding arm roughly in his hand and wrenched her to her feet. She yelped in surprise and pain and darted a horrified look up to him. She recognised him at once. "I-I didn't know… didn't know I could do that…" That still didn't mean she was sorry for it.

"You seem so fucking useful with those hands!" he hissed and twisted her arm harder. "Green fingers! Hah! All your power flows through them – so let's see how you manage without them!"

"W-what?" Kagome stammered, but his only response was the drag her away to the boulder she'd previously been sitting upon. He forced her to her knees and stretched her hand out across the top of the large rock, exposing her arm. As soon as she realised what he intended to do as he raised Banryuu high above his head she screamed and tried to pull away with all her might. "NO!" she shrieked. "Let go of me! _Please_!"

"Revive them!" he yelled above her, sword still poised.

"I can't!"

"Can't or won't?!"

"I can't!" she repeated, her eyes tightly shut as she half lay sprawled against the boulder. The only thing keeping her from slumping on the ground was the fact that her arm was drawn across the top with his hand employed in pinning it down. "I don't remember the curse!"

"Get Tsubaki back!"

"I can't!" Kagome cried hoarsely. "I forced her out… she's gone!"

"All the wrong answers Kagome." He hissed. "Reverse the curse."

Kagome couldn't speak anymore. She didn't trust herself to.

"Very well. Say goodbye to your powers!"

Banryuu was brought down in a strong, powerful strike.

But at the last moment Bankotsu was tackled from the side by Inuyasha. The sword slipped its aim and missed her wrist. Kagome's eyes were wide with complete shock as she vaguely was aware of the two men moving their fight further away.

Her legs found their strength and she stood… a cold, numb sensation ran up her right arm and she didn't breathe a sound as she quickly clenched her right hand against her belly, covering it with her other hand…

Blood blossomed between her fingers and flooded down the remains of the front of her yukata.

She blinked rapidly as she took a few steps away from the boulder, but she didn't once scream… she didn't make a single sound. Even as the overwhelming pain sprang up that accompanied the light-headedness of large blood loss. She looked back at the boulder, more in curiosity than any other emotion. She saw two of her fingers laying there, in a small pool of her own blood.

"Ah…" she opened her mouth and that soft sound was all that came out.

Her knees buckled and she nearly collapsed, but she recovered and stood straight and somewhat stunned. She was trembling uncontrollably now, a deep cold settled in her bones and the bottom of her stomach had long since fallen away. She momentarily looked down at where her hands pressed against her stomach. The blood still flowed, contrasting starkly with her unnervingly pale skin, and perhaps not so starkly with her favourite yukata… after all, it was a dark shade of orange. Some of the blood had dripped onto her toes and she acutely noted how warm it was, compared to how numb her feet were.

Then she looked back up to where Bankotsu still fought Inuyasha. They weren't holding back any punches now.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called weakly. She wished he would hear her and turn to her, come running to help her. He didn't. "Inuyasha?" she called a little louder this time. "Inu… Inuyasha?…"

Her legs gave out again and she fell unceremoniously onto her behind, the dull throbbing pain in her hand gave a small acute stab. Her eyes were beginning to become a little too wet and she could only stare helplessly at the ground. "Inuyasha…" she called in barely a whisper now… 

She felt like a child calling for her mother… she just wanted someone to come and wrap their arms around her and hold her tightly. But Inuyasha wasn't responding to her weak pleas for help. 

AN: I've never quite written something like that… I can't help but think 'ouch'. Anyway… the next chapter is the last – aptly named 'In the End…' but I'll try and make it extra long so I can fit a sort of epilogue into it as well… or I could do the epilogue as a separate chapter… bah, I'll figure it out later. 


	23. Back to Sanity

**Author****'****s Notes**: Woo… yay… really tired… but still yay! I wonder how long it's been since I updated this story…? Hmm, well, may I advise skimming over the last few chapters to get a bearing of where we are in the story? I had to actually reread the whole story before I could even dream of attempting to write this chapter, but there you go. It's amazing how much I forgot was going on in the current storyline…

But I kept the ending I had in mind. ^__^ The epilogue will be longer than this chapter when I'm done with it and since I'm almost finished, you don't have to worry with author's block and me not updating for another couple of years…

Really… really… sorry about that . I promise to try and make it up to you guys with the best-est epilogue-est of my life-est…. (probably not-est)

Anyway, thanks for all the encouragement – especially Midoriko who _really _helped me over this writer's block ^__^

**Life Exchange**

**Chapter 23**

Back to Sanity 

Bankotsu slashed furiously away at the swift hanyou. All the anger, hatred, and loss was boiling over and mingling with his regret… spurring his rage on and fuelling his strength like nothing else ever could. Who needed magic to increase one's strength when adrenaline could do better?

"You dirty, little freak!" he all but screamed as he aimed another heavy blow of his sword right for the transformed hanyou. Inuyasha only kept ducking and retreating step by step… infuriating Bankotsu to no end. "Just stay still so I can kill you!"

The leader of the Shichinin-tai slammed his weapon down hard against the ground as he missed Inuyasha again. The blade got wedged in the solid earth and stuck there. It only took a moment of hesitation on his part before Inuyasha whipped forward and slammed an elbow against Bankotsu's face. The warrior found himself flat on his front, being ground into the earth with Inuyasha's knee in the small of his back. For a moment, the pressure was nearly too much. Inuyasha made two deliberately slow jerks to pull one arm up behind Bankotsu's back – and then the other – pressing them both towards his shoulder blades so carefully that the bones cracked and protested.

The hanyou made a sound similar to a snort or a tutt. "Keh… humans." He gouged his knee harder into Bankotsu's spine. "They break so easily."

Bankotsu gathered his resolve before launching all his anger and strength in an effort to throw Inuyasha off him. It worked, and Inuyasha was sent skidding sideways as Bankotsu managed to buck and kick against him hard enough. 

Without a second to delay, he reached out and grabbed the hilt of his sword, tugging it free of the earth. "Then this should prove something for you." Bankotsu hissed. "You're fully transformed and at your full potential, and yet I, a puny human, still manage to overpower you."

Inuyasha didn't seem to be listening. He was looking past Bankotsu at something in the distance. Bankotsu didn't dare turn his back on Inuyasha to see what he was looking at… he wasn't about to fall for the 'look over there!' trick. He knew Inuyasha was looking at Kagome. "What's the matter?"

The consumed hanyou remained staring listlessly past him.

"Do you still care about her? Even with that face?" Bankotsu rolled his eyes at Inuyasha. "I get it now. You're not a real youkai… you're just a hanyou who's lost his humanity. No brain. You're a fake youkai."

No strategy, no real aim in battle other than rip, tear, and kill. Inuyasha certainly was… an interesting opponent. "I'm tired of fighting the brainless wonder." Bankotsu said breezily and hefted Banryuu up into the air. "Now, let's end this quickly."

With a loud crack that shook half the canyon, the large blade was smacked against the ground before Bankotsu. He watched with ill-concealed triumph as a thin crack in the ground slithered its way towards Inuyasha who looked at the approaching crack without much expression. He didn't even move when the rip in the dry earth shot beneath him, swallowing up one foot into the ground and lodging it there. He didn't even really try to break free.

Something was wrong with Inuyasha… but Bankotsu didn't really care one way or another. "Now that I have you standing still…" Bankotsu slunk forward, swinging his sword back and forth beside him, idly. He stopped short a few feet from Inuyasha and pulled a face. "I kinda forgot you were an inch or two taller…"

With a short shove, he sent the Hanyou toppling backwards to land on his behind, though his foot remained trapped. His face was still oddly blank and his eyes seemed to have dulled. Bankotsu narrowed his own eyes for a moment, trying to assess what the problem was, but gave up in favour of stepping closer and moving his sword to hover over Inuyasha's heart.

"Is this all you're worth in the end?"

Inuyasha made no sign of having heard him.

Bankotsu frowned. "But this is so… I want to gloat – there's no point gloating if you don't listen to me doing it."

Slowly Inuyasha tilted his chin up to Bankotsu, and although his eyes remained ever so slightly listless, a smirk spread across the lower half of his face. Bankotsu shrugged and drew back his blade, ready to thrust down. "That'll have to do. I hope you remember this in your afterlife, if such a thing exists."

The only warning Bankotsu got was a few scuffled footsteps behind him, and before he had the chance to turn and look, a sharp pain lanced through his body.

The hands gripping Banryuu above his head slackened and the large sword slid to the ground, lodging in the earth between him and Inuyasha… it supported his weight as his body was left weakened all of a sudden…

For a moment, he thought it was nothing but a flesh wound. He could still go on fighting! A grin plastered across his face and he began pulling his sword up…

But then the horrible cold weakness swept through his body like a wave, and he went numb from the core of his bone to the skin. The world spun and for a second time he lost everything. His unfocused gaze locked on Inuyasha for a moment before he looked down at the rusty katana protruding from his chest. "You lucky bastard…"

   He was going to die. There was no way around it… but he would not go alone!

Gathering the last shred of strength in his body, Bankotsu spun – slashing out his arm in the process.

The blow caught Kagome from where she stood behind him and she toppled to the ground with only a faint cry of pain. Bankotsu sneered down at her as the world darkened and slid sideways – or was it him that was sliding sideways? 

"Stupid woman…" he muttered thickly as his life slipped away before him.

He hit the ground with a clatter of dust and bones…

**~*~**

An interesting show…

Inuyasha smirked slowly as he ripped his foot free of the crack in the earth and got to his feet. What remained of his foe was nothing more than a starched human skeleton and a pile of dry dust… not even a satisfying drop of blood anywhere!

Apart from on the girl.

The hanyou turned his eyes to where she lay a few metres away, staring up at either the sky or the butterflies overheard, her two hands clasped tightly together against her stomach. Her yukata was nothing but shreds of material – and what remained was mostly tainted with delicious smelling blood.

She had reached her limit. She wasn't going to live for much longer…

Not that it mattered, but at least he could get a few more minutes of torture out of her. His scarlet gaze fell on the rusty katana protruding out of the bare ribcage that had once belonged to Bankotsu.

That would do.

Without a further thought, he snatched a hand around the hilt of the old sword and tugged it free, scraping it's chipped edges against the pale bones. He turned towards the girl and lifted the sword incrementally as he approached her.

Something inside him shifted.

His blood receded.

His mind returned with shattering clarity.

"Kagome…"

Tessaiga dropped from his numb fingers, and without even a fleeting thought to all the skeletons that littered the canyon floor, he raced towards the fallen girl and collapsed to his knees beside her. "Kagome!" He seized her shoulders and shook her. "Look at me – Kagome, look at me!"

The girl's eyelids flickered, but she met his gaze with a weak attempt at a smile. "You're back."

"So are you…" The last time he'd seen that sweet smile had been at the river. Neither of them had seen each other properly since.

Inuyasha's heart nearly broke at the condition she was now in. She was pale and stricken, heavily wounded, and stiff with pain. He reached down to clasp his hand over hers, but at her hiss he pulled back. "What's wrong?" He looked down at her hands.

"It's nothing." she mumbled with a tiny shake of her head.

But Inuyasha had already seen. Fear twisted around his heart so violently that he could almost feel the panic attack approaching. "Kagome – you're going to be fine now. I'm going to take you back home, and then you'll put your feet up for a few weeks and recover…"

She was shaking her head.

"Please… come back with me…?" It was pitiful how his voice cracked.

If his voice was uneven, hers was worse. Tears shone in her over bright eyes. "I can't."

"You can, just hold on-"

"I'm dying." she whispered, an emotional squeak creasing her voice. "I can't move… I can barely breathe… don't ask any more of me."

Wisps of her hair stirred in the light breeze, catching across her face and obscuring her eyes. Inuyasha quickly brushed the locks aside and held them with a hand on either side of her head. He was so confused… his mind had been overridden and lost so many times over the past day that he barely knew where he was or what had happened.

All he knew was that Kagome was dying and he had failed to protect her.

"Please forgive me." _Please don__'__t leave me…!_

She gave him a watery smile. "How… can I not…? I love you…"

His breathing was getting choppy. "I love you, too."

Her smile faded. "You don't really mean that…"

"I do!" He wanted to lift her and hold her, embrace her and never let go… but he was scared of hurting her any further. If he couldn't physically comfort her, he would do everything else in his power to make her feel better… and if that meant lying…

"You mean well… but you don't mean it." Where she found the energy to lift her hand and touch his face with bloodied, cracked fingers was beyond him. But it gave him hope. "Inuyasha… you can dress a sparrow in a peacock's feather and pretend it's something else… but in the end, it's just a sparrow…"

"What…?" She wasn't making sense.

"And… you can dress love up… rename it… and fit it into your ideas of how it should be… but in the end, it is always love… no matter how different it may look to other people…"

Inuyasha stared at her, searching her peaceful face. "I don't understand!" She had to stop wasting her energy in babbling nonsense and just concentrate on holding onto her life!

"You will…" She swallowed hard, closing her eyes. "You'll know what it means… one day…"

"Kagome…?" _Please don__'__t go…_

She opened her eyes and blinked slowly a few times before closing them again. "It's dark…" 

It was the middle of the day. It was anything but dark. "We have to get back to the palace and treat your wounds."

"No…" She frowned slightly. "I want to stay here… just hold me until…"

"Until…?"

"…they come…"

Inuyasha watched her, wordlessly taking in her tranquillity and calmness, considering the situation. He envied her peacefulness when his heart was in nothing but turmoil and distress. He wanted to shout at her – to tell her to stop fooling around and hang on for him… but deep down he knew she was right and he could do nothing but gently pull her into his lap.

He held her as the light faded and the dust from the seven skeletons was swept into the reservoir by the evening wind. He held her as the butterflies dispersed and vanished… as the sun set over the edge of the sea…

He listened to her slow heart, counting off the faint beats and praying for the next one.

"Don't… forget…"

Inuyasha looked down at the girl in his arms. "Don't forget what…?" he whispered.

Her voice was too weak to make a sound but he saw her lips move. _Me…_

"Never." He watched her eyes slide close again and felt a deep ache settle in his chest. There had to be some way to save her… someone was bound to come by soon and with them, help would arrive for her. She would survive and he could take her back to the palace and worship her for the rest of their lives.

Kagome's heart had stopped beating.

Inuyasha was alone again.

AN: Um… yeah… I need to go… before I get beaten to death…


	24. Fast, Free and Happy

**Author****'****s Notes: **Ahh… at last. Finished! Once again, thank you to all the reviewers and for the lack of death threats… sort of. ^__^ Anyway, as you can guess this is the last chapter so there will be no more Life Exchange *sniff* However, I will be posting the story analysis after this epilogue – written by Midoriko-sama in an effort to shift the writer's block – it worked by the way! I plan to post it because it seems such a shame for me to be the only one who gets to read it… plus, it really makes Life Exchange sound more intelligent and deep than I ever hope to fathom. So, enjoy the epilogue and put away those tissues!

**Life Exchange**

**Epilogue**

**Fast, Free and Happy**

"Ooh… pretty!" Fushi spun as a gust of butterflies swept around him. Multicoloured wings flickered in the light and his young eyes were mesmerised. Haplessly, he ran after the fluttering insects.

"Fushi!" Sango called as she chased after her daft son. "Don't you dare go falling down the canyon, young man!"

"Aw, Mom…"

Miroku hefted his youngest daughter on his hip and glanced over at Inuyasha who was, as usual, either brooding or sulking. It was hard to tell what the hanyou felt these days. Inuyasha's mother walked on his other side, carrying Miroku and Sango's middle daughter. She was generally gasping and applauding the beautiful sights and shrubs that guided their way to the canyon edge. It was probably all the woman could do to keep from following Fushi and chasing off after random butterfly encounters.

"It's a nice day." the monk commented warmly as his little girl drooled babyishly on his shoulder. "A good day to pay our respects."

"I can't believe in all my years that I never came this far out of the palace." Lady Inu said as she picked the odd flower protruding onto the beaten-down path through the forest. "It used to be too dangerous, but I reckon just a glimpse of this beauty was enough to risk being killed by northern soldiers."

"That's because you live on the edge, Ma." Inuyasha said absently as he glanced over his shoulder. "Where's Shippo?"

"Collecting flowers the last time I saw him." Miroku responded, following the hanyou's gaze.

"Don't worry, he'll catch up." Lady Inu said dismissively, spotting Sango and Fushi standing at the canyon edge not far ahead. "How's the view?" she called to them.

"Lovely!" Sango called back cheerfully. "Come and have a look!"

The other members of the group arrived at the edge and took in the spectacular view. Sango kept a firm hold on the back of Fushi's shirt, lest he follow the butterflies over the cliff-edge.

It really was a beautiful sight, and it began to relax Inuyasha as he looked out over what had been the worst scene of his life. The reservoir had swelled, covering the entire floor of the canyon, and feeding the vast growths of plants and trees that climbed the canyon walls. Everything seemed much more lush that year… the damage that had been dealt to the canyon the previous year had healed by nature.

The saying 'time heals all wounds' applied to them all. The canyon barely held any resemblance to the crater-filled, torn up battlefield that had etched its way into Inuyasha's memory. It was unrecognisable, and anyone looking down at it would never know of the deaths that had occurred at its base.

Just as anyone looking at Inuyasha, or the people he was closest to, would never know of the heartbreak they'd all suffered barely a year before.

"Hey guys!" Shippo popped out of the bushes behind them. "I found a really pretty clearing with all these red flowers we can throw over the edge!"

"I must see the flowers that impress a child so much." Lady Inu disappeared into the bushes after the kitsune. Fushi followed, leaving Sango to trail after them helplessly to keep an eye on her son. 

Now alone with only one ten month old baby to eavesdrop, Miroku glanced across at Inuyasha. "You ok?"

The hanyou nodded slowly, distantly in his thoughts. "Yeah…"

The last time he'd visited the canyon was when they'd scattered her ashes over the edge. The wind had swallowed them up with a fair gulp on that dark, dismal day and the canyon had advertised nothing but scarred rocks and craters.

Inuyasha hadn't been able to stay for more than a few minutes before he'd had to leave… the memory had been too much.

But now, it seemed that even in death she had the power to make things flourish and grow. 

He missed her.

He missed her sweet smile. Her eyes that were always loving and kind. Her gentle scent and her beautiful face.

At first, all he'd been able to see her as was the dead girl in the canyon. Pale, bloody… lifeless. But little by little he'd been able to move past that moment and remember all the good memories he'd shared with her…

They hadn't had near as many good times as they should have had together… life was cruel, and theirs had been cut short.

But as long as he could remember her as she used to be…

_As long as I do nothing but remember, I__'__ll only end up an old man with nothing but his memories_. Inuyasha smirked to himself and brushed his hair back from his face. He looked over at his friend. "Miroku. Do me a favour?"

"Jump off this cliff, perhaps?" It wouldn't have been the first time Inuyasha had requested that favour of him.

"No." Inuyasha sighed and rolled his head to the side as he regarded the butterflies. "Whatever you do… don't waste life."

"I don't plan to."

"Well, I did." Inuyasha lowered his gaze. "I had three years with her and I wasted them. I could have loved her… I could have realised that I loved her sooner rather than keep doubting myself and doubting her…"

"You didn't doubt her." Miroku told him softly.

"Yeah, but I wasted my chance. She was taken from me before I really understood what she meant to me…" Inuyasha stared off into space, a frown furrowing his brow as his thoughts went to distant places again.

Miroku watched him. "What did she mean to you?"

"Everything." Inuyasha whispered, closing his eyes. "She told me that love is the same… no matter how you look at it. I just kept looking at it and denying it… I didn't understand. I spent so long trying to understand how I felt and what it meant, but in the end I missed out… and I'm going to pay for the rest of my life." He shrugged loosely. "With loneliness."

"I doubt she would want that." Miroku told him seriously.

"Yeah… I know." He nodded. "She just lived and loved without a doubt or a question about her feelings. She was living it to the fullest while I hung back… wasted my chance." Inuyasha inhaled sharply and turned to Miroku. "Apparently, you only get one shot at life. It's no time for rehearsals… and the longer I stay here, the longer my chances slip by."

Miroku stared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I wanna leave."

Miroku's gaze darted around. "What…? Now?"

The hanyou nodded, only a slight smile gracing his face.

For a moment, Miroku didn't know what to say. He stared at Inuyasha in confusion and bemusement… but it faded and for a second he reckoned he understood. "You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?"

Inuyasha smirked. "What's left for me here? The north and the south are practically one and the same again. Mikato is already proving himself to be a better king in the north than I could ever be down here… why not let him take over completely and cut me some slack?"

Miroku's daughter gurgled slightly as her father frowned. "You're sure?"

"Of course." Inuyasha flashed a grin. "This isn't the first time I've tried to escape this hell hole, you know!"

"I know." Miroku laughed a little. "But what will you do once you leave?"

"Dunno…" With a sigh and a shrug, he kicked his foot against the ground. "Maybe I'll do a Sesshomaru and just piss about for a while with no aim, pick up a chick and drag her around with me… but as long as I have fun, who cares?"

"Your mother."

"Don't tell her I said anything about a chick." Inuyasha shook his head vaguely. "She'll get visions of grandchildren again."

"And if she _does _get grandchildren, you must bring them back to show them to her." Miroku warned him.

"Not happening." Inuyasha's smile faded slightly. "I don't think I want to so much as look at another woman as long as I live."

"You say that now…" Miroku raised an eyebrow. "And you said that after Kikyo died too."

"Well… maybe I will. But I'm trying to mean it this time. I think I've gone off women."

Miroku's smile faded. "Jakotsu hasn't… poisoned your mind, has he?" said a rather uncomfortable looking monk.

Inuyasha glared at him and folded his arms.

The smile returned on the monk's face. "Well, I must say I'm relieved – wait – where are you going?"

Inuyasha was walking away, but he turned long enough to give Miroku an exasperated look. "I'm leaving!"

"Now?"

"Duh…"

"What about saying goodbye to everyone?" Miroku frowned at his retreating form.

"You can do that for me." Inuyasha decided. "Goodbyes are already fucked up enough as it is. I'd rather not bother, myself."

Miroku watched in mild astonishment as Inuyasha turned back the way he was walking and headed back down the path they'd come down. His arms were still folded, a gruff, closed kind of body language… no one would be able to guess that it was the last time Miroku would ever see him.

The monk let out a soft sigh of amusement and raised his daughter up a little. "Say goodbye to the idiot, Kagome."

"G-g-bye!"

**~*~**

An enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could almost measure how much easier it felt to breathe.

The guards snapped to attention of sorts as he passed through the gates of the palace, entering the courtyard. Inwardly, Inuyasha smirked. They wouldn't be doing that for him much longer… not if Miroku passed on his message to Mikato as requested.

Inuyasha didn't mention a word of his plans to anyone he met along his way. He headed straight for his rooms first, changing his clothes to better suit his purposes. A gift of fire-rat fur armour from his deceased father was his choice… perhaps he looked more like a rugged commoner than ever, but as soon as he left the palace he would be about as royal as the average piglet in a mud puddle.

"You look like you're leaving for a trip, Inuyasha-sama." the stable-hand guessed as Inuyasha carefully selected his horse.

"I am."

"Oh." The boy blinked in surprise. "When will you be back?"

"Probably before you know it." Inuyasha was poised to reach out and take the halter of the white stallion he usually preferred. Fast and reliable and a good choice as a long-term companion…

An angry horse kicked against the timber post it was tied to. Inuyasha slid his gaze incredulously over to the source of the surly snort and glared at the brown gelding.

He was her horse… he had no rider anymore.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Inuyasha left the white stallion and approached the brown horse dubiously. For once it didn't try and kick him when he got close, but gave him a rather horse-like look that Inuyasha could have sworn was a fisheye glare. "What?"

The gelding's ears flicked.

"If I take you, you'll never get to come back here again." Inuyasha told it quietly, entertaining the idea that it understood.

_But then again, if I leave you, no one__'__s ever going to bother saddling you up again, you stupid excuse for a mule…_

With an overdramatic sigh, Inuyasha unlashed the rope attaching the gelding's halter to the post and beckoned the stable-hand. "Gear him up."

"But…" The boy looked hesitant. "He's really bad tempered these days."

"So am I." Inuyasha gave the kid a pointed look. "Gear. Him. Up."

"Ok." he piped and disappeared to get the saddle normally fitted for the gelding. Inuyasha watched as the boy began bringing it out, before changing his mind and ducking back inside the stables.

Perhaps the gelding's normal saddle was a bit too small and feminine for Inuyasha?

With yet another sigh, Inuyasha leant against the post beside him and stroked a clawed hand over the beast's nose. He remember the first day he'd met the gelding… not long before he'd met her. He hadn't been particularly kind to either of them at that point…

So why had he been so surprised when they'd banded together to make his life miserable?

"I can't even remember what she called you…" Inuyasha frowned.

"Gelding." the stable boy chirped as he returned.

"What?" Inuyasha gave the boy a vaguely irritated look.

"Gelding. She called him Gelding."

She'd always been a bit short of imagination…

"Yeah, whatever." Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the boy got to work saddling up the horse. After a moment though, Inuyasha got bored with watching him and shooed him away. "It's ok, I'll do it."

The boy didn't offer much protest as he backed away and went back to other business around the stable.

Inuyasha tightened the strap around the gelding's belly. "From what I remember, you had stamina and strength… but not a lot of speed." He moved around to hold the horse by the halter and stare him in the eyes. "If you fail me on speed then I'll trade you in for _anything_, got that?"

The brown gelding snorted in either understanding or contempt.

Well, Inuyasha could stay and write a dictionary of horse language, or he could get going. 

It was surprisingly easy to get into the saddle and ride out through the palace gates knowing that he'd probably never be back. He had no attachment to the place. Some people considered the place they grew up to be the other side of the soul – that they would always be incomplete without it.

Inuyasha didn't care so much for nostalgic childhood memories.

There had been a hole in his soul ever since she had died and there was no way to fill it. Hangovers, long walks off cliffs, nothing seemed to complete him the way she had.

There had been no warning. He'd never known what's he'd had till it was gone… slipped from between his fingers as easily as water. Snuffed out in a moment's stupidity.

Inuyasha had blamed himself for the tragedy… in a way, he still did. If he'd been that much faster… that little bit stronger… would he have been able to save her? Would she still be with him today? Would he still be overlooking his love and hurting her?

What had hurt him most was that she had died thinking he didn't love her… only recently he had come to realised that she had known… even though he hadn't.

The sand barrier that connected the main land to the island had been destroyed exactly one year ago… but strangely enough, the tides had brought the sand back and piled it in the same way it had been before. The bridge that connected the island to the mainland was back… though these days it was low and only appeared on the night of the new moon.

Inuyasha had timed himself. He'd decided to leave almost two months ago… and now he was finally doing it.

He only had to wait a couple of hours on the beach for the tide to lower. While he waited he sat on a craggy outcrop of rocks, letting the gelding graze the grassy verge behind him, mulling over his thoughts.

He doubted that Miroku would have informed the others that he was leaving yet… if he had, they would have already come to drag him back by the ears by now. The monk would tell them in the morning – and by that time Inuyasha would be far, far away…

He didn't know where he would go but he knew that he had to live. The island wasn't big enough for him anymore. Before, he'd never understood Sesshomaru's urge to drop his title and kingdom to go _wandering,_ but now, as Inuyasha found himself following in his footsteps he began to understand…

His life was limited and defined in the palace… he would go nowhere and do nothing new for the rest of his life… but if he escaped now?

The tide was peeling back quickly, leaving the unerringly smooth path of sand that stretched out from the beach. Inuyasha caught hold of the Gelding and pulled himself up into the saddle. He kicked it into a full out gallop and shot off the beach onto the sand belt, kicking up spray and sand in their wake.

He needed to live.

Kagome had given her life for him and he'd be damned if he wasted it.

If there was anything that his short time with Kagome had taught him – that was to take advantage of any and every opportunity that came his way. From then on he would stop questioning, stop hesitating and doubting and just live the way that she had. He couldn't be afraid of the unknown – she hadn't been when she'd stumbled onto the island with her mission to kill him. He would stop mistrusting and being unforgiving… the way Kagome had forgiven him for his lack of understanding… her patience had been unending and _that _was how he wanted to be.

The wind whipped around him, salty and sharp. It refreshed him. The further he got from the island, the more he unwound… the more his inner injuries began to close over.

The hole in his heart remained. But he doubted that would ever leave him. It would be a constant reminder of what he'd lost.

Yet while his heart would remain a half, his life would be full from that moment. He wanted to live fast and free and happy and then die. That was what life was about. Responsibility and work could go hang themselves. This was his life and he'd wasted enough as it was. He'd wasted hers as well… but this was where it ended.

A new world was opening up to him and he would get lost inside it. No looking back.

But no forgetting..

And no more regrets…

***~***

Naraku could see her outline ahead of him. He mentally rolled his eyes… the girl just didn't know when to give up, did she?

"Why are you still here?" he asked testily as he stopped behind her on the road where all destinations met.

"Why are _you _still here?" she replied.

"Why do you always answer a question with another question?"

"Because I didn't ask enough of them when I was alive." she replied breezily. "I always took everything at face value… never questioned. Maybe I should have? Then maybe I wouldn't have been fooled as many times as I was…"

"Yeah, whatever." Naraku waved his hand flippantly. "What I want to know is why you're still here. Why haven't you moved on?"

She shrugged lightly and smiled. "I'm waiting for him…" she told him quietly.

"Time is not linear here." he reminded her. "If he was coming, he would have arrived by now."

"I have faith." she countered. "I'll wait for him… even if he doesn't come for me."

"Bear in mind he may have found someone else in your wake. Maybe he fell in love with someone new… who says it will be you he seeks in the afterlife?"

She was quiet for a moment and Naraku wondered if he'd cast a shadow of doubt over her willing mind. But then she turned, looked at him and smiled. She was beautiful and healthy…

She was still in love…

"I'll wait for him. As long as there's a chance he will remember me, then I won't fail him again." she told him, certain of herself.

Stupid girl. Naraku rolled his eyes and continued on his way down the road. "I think it's _him _who should be worrying about doing the failing…" he rolled his shoulders. "I'm going to hell now, Baby. I think I've hung around this place long enough and they're pretty eager to get their claws on me… I don't plan on disappointing them."

"With your character, Naraku, you'll be ruling that place before the end of the day."

"I plan to be." He glanced back at her one last time. "Don't wait up for me."

"I won't be joining you."

"You say that now…" He left the comment hanging in the air as he turned back to the path ahead and the dark light at the end of it. The underworld had better be prepared for him…

She didn't pay him any more mind the second he was gone from her sight. Instead she went back to waiting… hoping… praying.

She remembered it all like it was yesterday. She remembered his promise that he'd never forger her – and she planned to hold him to it. 

_If he was coming,  he would have arrived by now._

"I have faith…" she whispered to herself.

She would wait. She didn't care if she had to wait for the rest of eternity… she would not move on without her soul mate. 

However long it took…

A rustle of movement drew her from her thoughts.

"Kagome…?"

She turned slowly and smiled, already feeling the tears spill down her cheeks. "You came…"

AN: Hurray! *completely ruins the moment with a volley of party popper, whistles and confetti* Who says I never finish my fics?! (Let's not talk abut "Where no man has gone before"…) ^__^ I hope you enjoyed the ending (or not) But strangely… that's probably the saddest ending I've managed so far…curse my need for sappy endings…


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